Star Things

by Jess L. Parker

These 61 brief yet powerful poems work in a broad array of forms, at once playful and dead serious, taking risks, toying with readers’ expectations and delivering seemingly effortless coups de grâce with a sly wink.

Genres: Poetry

92 pages, Paperback

Published August 20, 2021

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am partial to Wisconsin poets and particularly partial to lyric poets. "Star Things," is a gorgeous debut collection.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of mostly short poems-- the best here might be in the first of the three sections, where the poems are full of internal rhyme and off questions/ statements about the moon and the stars. The poems seem, in this section, to be almost the completion of a compulsion, the full working out of their internal music, and then they end. Except each of the poems would have this one line that felt out of place, that suggested a speaker who stood outside the poem, who had something else on her mind. Fun stuff.

Poems in later sections of the book seem interested in a more biographical speaker. There's a bad relationship, and potentially a miscarriage. But in general, these poems felt both less distinctly original and also less musical than the poems in the first section. They are good, just a little more pedestrian and earth-bound than the poems in the first section.

[Jamie Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess L. Parker's book is an intricate, eccentric, and beautiful journey of experiences and emotions that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I will revisit it often, and its the perfect size for traveling with or carrying in a purse! Jess's style is smooth, playful, and she reveals the depth of items that are seemingly ordinary or overlooked by most.

[Angela Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Things speaks of the very sacredness of life sliced wide open. Jess takes ordinary objects and our place in this dreamy world of stars, skies, moons, planets and weaves in heartbreak, abandonment, pain, fragility, and loss along with the joys of living. She reminds us that time moves in blinks and winks and we best not miss a second of it. Her poetry is musical and lyrical. A must read

[Drew Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, contemplative, and sometimes playful collection of poetry that explores our connection with forces larger than ourselves and our place in the cosmos. Jess' poems are short, well-crafted, and eminently readable. Highly recommended!