Questions for the Dead: Poems

by K.B. Marie, Victoria Solomon (Illustrations)

Have you ever looked at a piece of art, or closed a book, and found yourself left with deep, profound feelings?​Often our lives resonate with unexpected beauty. For Marie, wandering an art museum is like wandering the hearts of artists, seeing their trials and tribulations on display, a chronicle of their efforts to make sense of this messy affair called life. ​In this illustrated collection of thirty-six poems, Marie wanders two European cities looking for an answer: what does it mean to live?

Genres: Poetry

100 pages, Paperback

Published August 24, 2020

About the author

K.B. Marie earned her MFA in poetry at Western Michigan University in 2010. In the years following, she taught thousands of university writing students how to find and develop their own voices, before leaving teaching to focus on her writing full-time.

Dozens of her poems have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies, including Bateau, North American Review, Ascent, Florida Review, Tampa Review, and elsewhere under the name, Kory M. Shrum.

She's also worked with several independent presses and publications, including New Issues Press, Zone 3 Press, Third Coast Literary Magazine, and the Los Angeles Review.

So many poets, writers, and artists have influenced her work, but she has a special love for Wisława Szymborska, Louise Glück, and Mary Oliver.

Her favorite poetry intersects with art--which is why most of her collections are illustrated or have a visual component.

She lives in Michigan with her wife, Kimberly, and their pug, Charley.

Learn more by visiting her website www.kbmariepoems.com, where you can also sign up for her newsletter and receive a free poetry ebook. She is also on Instagram @kbmariepoems

Reviews

[Megan Lougheed · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.4 stars) I really love K.B Marie her first poetrybook ‘Birds & other dreamers’ . I decided to read this book too, it contains ekphrastic poems. I was wondering what one would write about paintings they see and come across in life. I actually did some poetry about a few paintings myself together with my dearest (pen)friend. The biggest reason why I gave it 2.4 stars (which is still a very okay rating!) is because I had to look the paintings up. And it may sound a bit lazy, but when reading, I’d like the paintings to be on the other side of the page or even at the ending of the book. Now I was to busy to keep searching for the paintings on the internet while also want to read without any distraction. Even though, the writing itself was enjoyable, but I loved her first book more (big fan).

[L7xm · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Did you brace yourself, your subject,against a world where women were nothing?
Did you worry it would always be this way? Servitude, children, and husbands with too many debts?
What did the first stroke feel like?The last? Was it a swell of pride or defeat that overtook you as you leaned the result against the wall to dry,
inspecting every blemish with a dragon’s eye? "

هذا الديوان - ان صح تسمية غير الأشعار العربية بذلك - تجربة جديدة بكل المقاييس، إذ أنه شعر وصفي (وصف أدبي لعمل فني) فالشاعره تقف أمام العمل الفني وتستلهم منه لتكتب قصيدة تجسد شعورها تارة وتُساءل الفنان وفنه تارة أخرى، وهذه الوقفة لم تمر على خاطري قط، فقد اعتدنا رؤية اللوحة والسؤال عن سبب رسمها و أدوات الرسام وطريقته، لم اتأمل تعابير المرسومين ولم اتخيل الفنان على مر العصور وهو يجلس ويفكر ويتخيل.. أمامه صفحة بيضاء تنتظره وخلفه عالم مزحوم ينتظره كذلك.

"How can one see the world without when watching the world within?"

قراءة القصائد مع استعراض اللوحات المذكورة في محاولة لبس رداء الشاعرة و الوقوف بجانبها، ولهذا أعتقد ان كثيراً من المقاطع أثرت فيني لكني لا أستطيع وضعها في سياق خارج اللوحة، وكأن تلك العبارات لا معنى لها لمن لم يطلع على العمل الفني، لكن هناك مقاطع ليست مرتبطة بشدة بالأعمال الفنية الملهمة.

"It’s clear they’re still fighting. They still have hope. Except for one, resigned, her face and her heart dark. This one knows what’s coming."

ليست كل القصائد على ذات الجودة وأنا لدي مشكلة مع الشعر الحداثي، مع هذا كانت تجربة جميلة واستمتعت ببعض القصائد.

" Here I am picking up where you left off, for better or worse—
in obscurity, yes, but not alone.
As you borrowed all of your utensils, so have I.
Your sky.
Your light.
I take everything that was yours, knowing it is only for a matter of time before the world takes everything from me. "

[Jo Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very inspiring book, I did feel the need to look at the paintings and learn about the artists that these poems were inspired by.

Each poem gave me new insight into the paintings that I was familiar with but hadn’t seen in quite the same way as K. B. Marie

[jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how the poems connected to a real piece of art

[Ly ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐