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Escaping the Body
Chloe N. Clark’s poetry collection takes readers through a catalog of the speculative body. Escaping the Body is a surreal and profound journey through space, forests, monsters, myths, spells, magic tricks, forests, and the body. Escaping the Body is a collection of dreams of the flesh, exploring the cosmic rifts between the soul and the body, encouraging readers to escape their body in search of the liminal space beyond skin and bones.
120 pages, Paperback
Published March 7, 2022
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April 13, 2022
***2022 most favourite poetry collection alert***
I cannot remember how many times I have reread this poetry collection over and over again ever since I got approved of the advance reading copy!
I took my own sweet time with this collection because I was awed the very first time I read it. And it did the same the next time and the next. I just love it so much!
Much with the same vibes as that of Rupi Kaur's and Amanda Lovelace's collections, this one talks about girls and women; the society we live in and the twisted versions of ourselves.
As much as the expressions in this collection may seem triggering on many aspects, I feel comfort in reading about them as I as a woman am aware about these issues everyday and I am reminded about them every living moment of my life.
I live for such poetry. Thank you, author. You said it all.
I cannot remember how many times I have reread this poetry collection over and over again ever since I got approved of the advance reading copy!
I took my own sweet time with this collection because I was awed the very first time I read it. And it did the same the next time and the next. I just love it so much!
Much with the same vibes as that of Rupi Kaur's and Amanda Lovelace's collections, this one talks about girls and women; the society we live in and the twisted versions of ourselves.
As much as the expressions in this collection may seem triggering on many aspects, I feel comfort in reading about them as I as a woman am aware about these issues everyday and I am reminded about them every living moment of my life.
I live for such poetry. Thank you, author. You said it all.
January 10, 2022
Escaping the Body by Chloe N. Clark is the poet's fifth published collection of poetry. Clark is a founding Co-EIC of the literary journal Cotton Xenomorph. She writes poetry and fiction, and some essays about food, mostly, but also does critical scholarship in the history of horror, gender and science fiction, monstrosity and othering, and inclusive practices in pedagogy.
Clark mentions in her introduction that Houdini is her favorite escape artist. His quotes along with those of other magicians including his namesake separate each section. The theme of escape and illusion flows through the poetry. "Missing Girl Found" consists of stanzas of various possible outcomes. First with the most feared result and then with other outcomes ranging from the missing girl is found wanting, or found beautiful, or found happy, or, or, or... Her treatment of the poems leaves a bit of mystery and fantasy with mentions of faeries and Melusine. The youthful willingness to see magic all around us is stifled by age and everyday routine. Clark uses magicians to create pathways for our escape. Those magicians come in many forms -- the actual magician, a forest, monsters, and myths. Escaping the Body is much more a return to youthful acceptance of our surroundings rather than a New Age separation of body and spirit. She relates to simple things as important and deserving of attention. We all have our "Rosebud" somewhere in our past. "Flight" seemed to be the keystone poem for me tying together much of her work.
The theme of escaping the flesh runs through the collection. The reader will also get reasons why escape is wanted in "Error Coding" and "But Also This is Why the Robots Always Turn on Us." There is a wide range to Clark's writing while keeping in her theme. At the start, I wondered if this was poetry a middle-aged male would read, but quickly I fell into the groove and enjoyed the journeys. The writing is deep and intelligently thought through. We are led to escape our personal chains and traps in much the same way as Houdini escaped his chains and straitjackets. An excellent collection of contemporary poetry that will appeal to traditional poetry lovers.
Clark mentions in her introduction that Houdini is her favorite escape artist. His quotes along with those of other magicians including his namesake separate each section. The theme of escape and illusion flows through the poetry. "Missing Girl Found" consists of stanzas of various possible outcomes. First with the most feared result and then with other outcomes ranging from the missing girl is found wanting, or found beautiful, or found happy, or, or, or... Her treatment of the poems leaves a bit of mystery and fantasy with mentions of faeries and Melusine. The youthful willingness to see magic all around us is stifled by age and everyday routine. Clark uses magicians to create pathways for our escape. Those magicians come in many forms -- the actual magician, a forest, monsters, and myths. Escaping the Body is much more a return to youthful acceptance of our surroundings rather than a New Age separation of body and spirit. She relates to simple things as important and deserving of attention. We all have our "Rosebud" somewhere in our past. "Flight" seemed to be the keystone poem for me tying together much of her work.
The theme of escaping the flesh runs through the collection. The reader will also get reasons why escape is wanted in "Error Coding" and "But Also This is Why the Robots Always Turn on Us." There is a wide range to Clark's writing while keeping in her theme. At the start, I wondered if this was poetry a middle-aged male would read, but quickly I fell into the groove and enjoyed the journeys. The writing is deep and intelligently thought through. We are led to escape our personal chains and traps in much the same way as Houdini escaped his chains and straitjackets. An excellent collection of contemporary poetry that will appeal to traditional poetry lovers.
May 29, 2022
3/5 stars, a really unique collection of poetry
Thank you to Interstellar Flight Press for the arc through Netgalley and physical copy in exchange for an honest review!
Poetry is such an interesting genre, and probably the most honest, but there's always going to be some that doesn't fit what people enjoy reading. That was unfortunately this book for me, objectively it wasn't that bad, but I think the writing style was just in not my favorite form. I prefer modern poetry and while this was scratching the surface of that, I feel like it did not fully commit.
I think the most interesting part of this collection was the themes that the poetry was written about. The initial idea, talking about human bodies and how they are simply that, was really interesting but the overall execution could have been better. As well, some of the metaphors or images the author was trying to explain didn't make a lot of sense to me. So I think that took me out of the reading just a bit.
Overall, this was still an interesting poetry collection, even if it was a bit short. This author has written other books and I may check those out, just to see if it was a one time thing or the style that they write under. The themes were interesting, I just wish there had been a bit more attention put into the writing or editing.
[TW: poor body image, blood and gore (light), poor mental health, missing girls (mentioned)]
Thank you to Interstellar Flight Press for the arc through Netgalley and physical copy in exchange for an honest review!
Poetry is such an interesting genre, and probably the most honest, but there's always going to be some that doesn't fit what people enjoy reading. That was unfortunately this book for me, objectively it wasn't that bad, but I think the writing style was just in not my favorite form. I prefer modern poetry and while this was scratching the surface of that, I feel like it did not fully commit.
I think the most interesting part of this collection was the themes that the poetry was written about. The initial idea, talking about human bodies and how they are simply that, was really interesting but the overall execution could have been better. As well, some of the metaphors or images the author was trying to explain didn't make a lot of sense to me. So I think that took me out of the reading just a bit.
Overall, this was still an interesting poetry collection, even if it was a bit short. This author has written other books and I may check those out, just to see if it was a one time thing or the style that they write under. The themes were interesting, I just wish there had been a bit more attention put into the writing or editing.
[TW: poor body image, blood and gore (light), poor mental health, missing girls (mentioned)]
April 11, 2022
Escaping the Body is a surreal and profound journey through space, forests, monsters, myths, spells, magic tricks, forests, and the body. Escaping the Body is a collection of dreams of the flesh, exploring the cosmic rifts between the soul and the body, encouraging readers to escape their bodies in search of the liminal space beyond skin and bones.
This poetry collection was beautifully written and it deals with everyday subjects. Some subjects are triggering but it's still worth reading and thinking about. This is one of my first poetry books to read and I took my time reading this. Poetry is out of my comfort zones and this wasn't a disappointment.
I love that it kind of gives me horror vibes but it's still enjoyable and relaxed to read. I would definitely recommend this to everybody.
Thanks, NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the advance copy.
This poetry collection was beautifully written and it deals with everyday subjects. Some subjects are triggering but it's still worth reading and thinking about. This is one of my first poetry books to read and I took my time reading this. Poetry is out of my comfort zones and this wasn't a disappointment.
I love that it kind of gives me horror vibes but it's still enjoyable and relaxed to read. I would definitely recommend this to everybody.
Thanks, NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the advance copy.
December 28, 2021
Un poemario lindo, pero uno más del montón. Me hubiera encantado amarlo, pero sentí que le faltó algo para destacar.
January 22, 2022
I really loved this collection. I felt each poem was genuinely strong and good. i could read one of the single poems on their own and be impressed. So having a cohesive collection really just strengthens the work. The subject matter of the poems was something i relate to and am interested it. I had been collecting my favourites and ended up with half the collection written down.
February 19, 2022
Escaping the Body is a collection of intricate and unique poems revolving around the body, love and heartbreak.
I really enjoyed the almost biological and scientific aspect of the poems that mixed with the more lyrical and emotive language. I thought it was a great contrast and I’ve never seen it done before. The poems are real and each has deep meaning. I will say some were quite difficult to wrap my head around and I had to reread a few!
Some of my favourite lines that I think really capture the essence of the poems are
‘You left yourself in pieces are my apartment- the indent of your body in my bed, the finger prints on the shower glass.’
My favourite poem was ‘Once They Sainted a Mermaid’ which described in beautiful and lyrical words the sea and womanhood.
Overall, this is a great collection of poetry and I really enjoyed reading it!
I really enjoyed the almost biological and scientific aspect of the poems that mixed with the more lyrical and emotive language. I thought it was a great contrast and I’ve never seen it done before. The poems are real and each has deep meaning. I will say some were quite difficult to wrap my head around and I had to reread a few!
Some of my favourite lines that I think really capture the essence of the poems are
‘You left yourself in pieces are my apartment- the indent of your body in my bed, the finger prints on the shower glass.’
My favourite poem was ‘Once They Sainted a Mermaid’ which described in beautiful and lyrical words the sea and womanhood.
Overall, this is a great collection of poetry and I really enjoyed reading it!
April 8, 2022
eARC provided by Net Galley for a honest review
A stunning, cohesive collection of poems that was really beautiful. Every poem had something that I annotated and Clark’s skill with language was unbelievable. Will definitely read more of this author’s other work!
A stunning, cohesive collection of poems that was really beautiful. Every poem had something that I annotated and Clark’s skill with language was unbelievable. Will definitely read more of this author’s other work!
March 10, 2022
I'm not really used to poetry books.
If I'm honest I never felt like I was emotionally smart enough to get them - which may or may not be true. This book was a big step in making me realize that poetry is about much more than just understand the meaning behind every verse - it's about the feelings you're left with after reading them, whether they make perfect sense to you or not.
The imagery in this is stunning and the way Chloe N. Clark paints with words makes this a truly interesting and inspiring experience. Her verses make you feel like the body is something bigger, the bigger somethings are the body and all of the above are feelings.
However, there were some clear ups and downs in my experience with this collection - in some moments I was thoroughly immersed by every poem, in others they just started to feel a little flat - and maybe a bit repetitive. As it always is with poetry, though, I am sure that the ones I found less interesting will be someone's favorites out of this book.
As I said before, in the end it is all about how each poem makes you feel - and Escaping the Body is absolutely bound to make you feel a lot.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
If I'm honest I never felt like I was emotionally smart enough to get them - which may or may not be true. This book was a big step in making me realize that poetry is about much more than just understand the meaning behind every verse - it's about the feelings you're left with after reading them, whether they make perfect sense to you or not.
The imagery in this is stunning and the way Chloe N. Clark paints with words makes this a truly interesting and inspiring experience. Her verses make you feel like the body is something bigger, the bigger somethings are the body and all of the above are feelings.
However, there were some clear ups and downs in my experience with this collection - in some moments I was thoroughly immersed by every poem, in others they just started to feel a little flat - and maybe a bit repetitive. As it always is with poetry, though, I am sure that the ones I found less interesting will be someone's favorites out of this book.
As I said before, in the end it is all about how each poem makes you feel - and Escaping the Body is absolutely bound to make you feel a lot.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
November 1, 2023
Escaping the Body is the latest collection from writer Chloe N. Clark, published by Interstellar Flight Press. It’s the first collection of poetry by Clark I’ve read, and it definitely won’t be the last. Her gorgeous and evocative writing explores the tension humans experience as embodied creatures who yearn to escape their biological limitations. I definitely recommend this collection!
There is a tension throughout Escaping the Body between the idea of leaving and returning to the body which I found really intriguing. It mirrors how I (and, I suspect, most people) feel about our bodies: they are both a home and a place to escape, sometimes simultaneously.
Many of the poems dwell continuously on and circle back to the body, showing the body as a place which can’t be escaped even as it changes and decays to bones. Even in the poems where escape from circumstances, temporarily cheating death, or transcending the body are possible, you can’t fully escape yourself.
This collection definitely inspires the reader to contemplate what it means to exist in a body as a sentient being, and the unease which we thinking creatures feel when we remember that we are tied to our vulnerable bodies.
I love the variety of poems in this speculative collection which range from the surreal to the scientific to the mythical to homages to Houdini. Clark also embraces multiple genres, including sci-fi, horror, and fantasy. Many of her poems are so genre-blurring that they can’t readily be categorized.
Clark’s work ranges from narrative-driven poems to very threadbare poems focusing on a specific moment or feeling. Throughout, she uses striking imagery which lingers in the mind. It takes a lot of confidence and talent to play so effortlessly with form and style, and Clark pulls it off with breathtaking ease.
My Favorite poems were: “Questions We Asked for the Girls Turned to Limbs,” “Missing Girl Found–,” “I was Planning on Learning to Breathe Today,” “What the Earth Returns to Our Mouths,” “Osteomancy,” “Lacunae,” “Grow Your Own Little Forest,” and “Ends and Ends” (which is an excellent concluding piece).
`
In so many fairy tales,
our dead go into trees.
Maybe trees are always
liminal spaces, roots
beneath and arms above,
so easy to find the lost.”
~”Grow Your Own Little Forest”
Overall, this is one of the best single-author poetry collections I’ve read, and I highly recommend it!
*
I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There is a tension throughout Escaping the Body between the idea of leaving and returning to the body which I found really intriguing. It mirrors how I (and, I suspect, most people) feel about our bodies: they are both a home and a place to escape, sometimes simultaneously.
Many of the poems dwell continuously on and circle back to the body, showing the body as a place which can’t be escaped even as it changes and decays to bones. Even in the poems where escape from circumstances, temporarily cheating death, or transcending the body are possible, you can’t fully escape yourself.
This collection definitely inspires the reader to contemplate what it means to exist in a body as a sentient being, and the unease which we thinking creatures feel when we remember that we are tied to our vulnerable bodies.
I love the variety of poems in this speculative collection which range from the surreal to the scientific to the mythical to homages to Houdini. Clark also embraces multiple genres, including sci-fi, horror, and fantasy. Many of her poems are so genre-blurring that they can’t readily be categorized.
Clark’s work ranges from narrative-driven poems to very threadbare poems focusing on a specific moment or feeling. Throughout, she uses striking imagery which lingers in the mind. It takes a lot of confidence and talent to play so effortlessly with form and style, and Clark pulls it off with breathtaking ease.
My Favorite poems were: “Questions We Asked for the Girls Turned to Limbs,” “Missing Girl Found–,” “I was Planning on Learning to Breathe Today,” “What the Earth Returns to Our Mouths,” “Osteomancy,” “Lacunae,” “Grow Your Own Little Forest,” and “Ends and Ends” (which is an excellent concluding piece).
`
In so many fairy tales,
our dead go into trees.
Maybe trees are always
liminal spaces, roots
beneath and arms above,
so easy to find the lost.”
~”Grow Your Own Little Forest”
Overall, this is one of the best single-author poetry collections I’ve read, and I highly recommend it!
*
I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 19, 2022
Clark's poems deal with themes of missing women, body parts, magicians, corpses, space, space (the other kind), dreams, questions, mothers, and an endless spiral of domestic wondering (what is the lover thinking, etc.). The last few works in the volume, especially those dealing with scientific subjects, are the most powerful. The ones about relationships fell flat. In general, this volume felt lackluster and wanting in the kind of specific detail that makes poetry shine.
ARC
ARC
January 12, 2022
Absolutely loved the elegant way in which so much grief and scary thoughts about life and death were presented.
Short and powerful poems about relatable fears and human pains told in such a beautiful way integrating many interesting metaphors and comparisons.
Definitely would recommend this to anyone looking for some short horror thoughts and reflections about the dark sides of being alive.
Short and powerful poems about relatable fears and human pains told in such a beautiful way integrating many interesting metaphors and comparisons.
Definitely would recommend this to anyone looking for some short horror thoughts and reflections about the dark sides of being alive.
April 29, 2022
Poetry is a genre I don't often pick up, but something about Escaping the Body called to me, and I'm so glad I gave it a shot! The poems contained in this collection deal in themes of love, loss, bodily autonomy, grief, but all with an undercurrent of hope. I found it easy to connect and find bits of my own experiences reflected back in Clark's words, and while the poems flowed easily into one another, I didn't find them to be repetitive or boring. I made liberal use of my Kindle highlights, and I could absolutely see myself coming back to this collection to revisit some of my favourite poems ("Flight" and "Error Codes" being my two huge standouts among many excellent contenders)!
dnf
March 29, 2022dnf at 81% I’m not sure what it was about this poetry collection but I just couldn’t get into it
April 7, 2022
eARC provided by Net Galley for a honest review
A stunning, cohesive collection of poems that was really beautiful. Every poem had something that I annotated and Clark’s skill with language was unbelievable. Will definitely read more of this author’s other work!
A stunning, cohesive collection of poems that was really beautiful. Every poem had something that I annotated and Clark’s skill with language was unbelievable. Will definitely read more of this author’s other work!
December 12, 2021
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a pleasant surprise! Narrative-based poetry, which are always my favorite, with a strong focus on empathy and understanding others. Biggest themes here are nature, people who are missing, escape artists/illusions and space.
There's some poignant stuff here. Sometimes relatable, other making you go "huh", in-your-face or riddled with symbolism.
In one word? Aching. That was the biggest feeling I got throughout this entire collection, reminiscent of Patricia Lockwood but more on the speculative side. Recommended!
Favorites:
Once They Sainted a Mermaid
The Current Will Push and Pull You
Lacunae
Grow Your Own Little Forest
This was a pleasant surprise! Narrative-based poetry, which are always my favorite, with a strong focus on empathy and understanding others. Biggest themes here are nature, people who are missing, escape artists/illusions and space.
There's some poignant stuff here. Sometimes relatable, other making you go "huh", in-your-face or riddled with symbolism.
In one word? Aching. That was the biggest feeling I got throughout this entire collection, reminiscent of Patricia Lockwood but more on the speculative side. Recommended!
Favorites:
Once They Sainted a Mermaid
The Current Will Push and Pull You
Lacunae
Grow Your Own Little Forest
November 20, 2021
ARC provided by Netgalley
Picked it up based on the premise and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s very powerfully written and evocative of some ancient Greek tragedy plays (especially Girls Turned to Limbs & All Melusine’s daughters). The first poem particularly is one I’ve reread a few times already!
Thematically it’s a wonderful and potent mix of being “missing”, lost, feeling inhuman or bodiless and they play together perfectly. It does have the very well-used idea of love and desire as a hunger, but with the way the poems express the desire to beak out of the perception of a body being limited by purely human experiences. The idea of being missing also lends itself to the reading of the book being about the commodification & objectification of women.
The structure is fairly freeform and it helps the experience feel more intimate, like late night thoughts. It also alternates between different ways of laying out the writing – keeping it engaging and making it very hard to put down.
Over all this is a very good collection of poems with a lot of depth to explore!
Picked it up based on the premise and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s very powerfully written and evocative of some ancient Greek tragedy plays (especially Girls Turned to Limbs & All Melusine’s daughters). The first poem particularly is one I’ve reread a few times already!
Thematically it’s a wonderful and potent mix of being “missing”, lost, feeling inhuman or bodiless and they play together perfectly. It does have the very well-used idea of love and desire as a hunger, but with the way the poems express the desire to beak out of the perception of a body being limited by purely human experiences. The idea of being missing also lends itself to the reading of the book being about the commodification & objectification of women.
The structure is fairly freeform and it helps the experience feel more intimate, like late night thoughts. It also alternates between different ways of laying out the writing – keeping it engaging and making it very hard to put down.
Over all this is a very good collection of poems with a lot of depth to explore!
March 30, 2022
This fantastical and haunting collection takes the reader through the separation of body and spirit through trauma. As someone who's experienced trauma as a child, I built mythical worlds in my mind to escape and survive. This collection illustrates the beauty and sadness of these worlds, that become increasingly hard to leave when we grow up.
October 5, 2022
What a wonderful collection! Despite what the cover looks like: Horror fans pay attention.
While I have a hard time calling this full-on Horror poetry, I think if you are a lover of both, Horror and poetry, you will find plenty of meeting points in here. Less for the gore hound and more for the literary Horror fiend. There are poetry takes on the Zombie apocalypse, hauntings, murder, violence against women, missing women, fairy tales, Houdini, the movie "The Thing", Final Girls, witches, robot uprisings and more. The theme of 'Bodies' in various forms is a connecting thread for a lot of these, no body Horror imagery but often fascinating and at times unsettling approaches. My personal favorite was the Mermaid poem but I noted many titles down (see below) as standouts, speaking of titles: the titles to many of these pieces are the best. Long, quirky, so intriguing, and sometimes worth pondering how the fit into the poem they headline.
I noticed that I responded a lot stronger to the first half of the collection than the second. I am not sure if just coincidentally my personal favorites were lumped together or if my excitement simply wore off. But in the beginning I wanted to mark down every second poem, couldn't believe how many great ones were lined up in a row. Later on I found the themes a bit less present and personally connected a little less. But that really might have been just me.
Overall these hit a great spot in between fairly accessible writing but more complex and compelling ideas within, it was useful to read a poem twice or more to let it sink in and absorb not just the beauty but the impact.
My favorites: Missing Girl Found-/ It's the Horror of my Friends that We Say Mean Things about Blondes/ The Detective, Years After/ Once they Sainted a Mermaid/ Flight/ But also this is Why the Robots Always Turn On Us/ Sci Fi Lesson/ Abandoned Houses/ A Reward for You and the Ones I Don't Think You Need/ Thread the Water/ The Escape Artist Wants to Tell You/ Ends and Ends/
While I have a hard time calling this full-on Horror poetry, I think if you are a lover of both, Horror and poetry, you will find plenty of meeting points in here. Less for the gore hound and more for the literary Horror fiend. There are poetry takes on the Zombie apocalypse, hauntings, murder, violence against women, missing women, fairy tales, Houdini, the movie "The Thing", Final Girls, witches, robot uprisings and more. The theme of 'Bodies' in various forms is a connecting thread for a lot of these, no body Horror imagery but often fascinating and at times unsettling approaches. My personal favorite was the Mermaid poem but I noted many titles down (see below) as standouts, speaking of titles: the titles to many of these pieces are the best. Long, quirky, so intriguing, and sometimes worth pondering how the fit into the poem they headline.
I noticed that I responded a lot stronger to the first half of the collection than the second. I am not sure if just coincidentally my personal favorites were lumped together or if my excitement simply wore off. But in the beginning I wanted to mark down every second poem, couldn't believe how many great ones were lined up in a row. Later on I found the themes a bit less present and personally connected a little less. But that really might have been just me.
Overall these hit a great spot in between fairly accessible writing but more complex and compelling ideas within, it was useful to read a poem twice or more to let it sink in and absorb not just the beauty but the impact.
My favorites: Missing Girl Found-/ It's the Horror of my Friends that We Say Mean Things about Blondes/ The Detective, Years After/ Once they Sainted a Mermaid/ Flight/ But also this is Why the Robots Always Turn On Us/ Sci Fi Lesson/ Abandoned Houses/ A Reward for You and the Ones I Don't Think You Need/ Thread the Water/ The Escape Artist Wants to Tell You/ Ends and Ends/
March 8, 2022
The Appalachian Bookworm
content warnings: sexual assault, death, sexual content, body horror (nails/skin/veins/broken fingers/bruises), grief, loss, trauma
Although this is not Chloe N. Clark’s first poetry collection, Escaping the Body is the first of her work that I have consumed. With diverse themes such as trauma, loss and the body, this collection left me with a nostalgic feeling, verging on melancholy.
The imagery was vivid and vulnerable, each poem beautifully written and relatable. There were some parts that felt repetitive, especially toward the middle, but with a style more narrative than descriptive, this collection was able to hold my attention to the very last word. The references to science fiction and horror as well as the homages to Houdini helped with that.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this poetry collection and can’t wait to pick up more of Chloe N. Clark’s work.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
content warnings: sexual assault, death, sexual content, body horror (nails/skin/veins/broken fingers/bruises), grief, loss, trauma
Although this is not Chloe N. Clark’s first poetry collection, Escaping the Body is the first of her work that I have consumed. With diverse themes such as trauma, loss and the body, this collection left me with a nostalgic feeling, verging on melancholy.
The imagery was vivid and vulnerable, each poem beautifully written and relatable. There were some parts that felt repetitive, especially toward the middle, but with a style more narrative than descriptive, this collection was able to hold my attention to the very last word. The references to science fiction and horror as well as the homages to Houdini helped with that.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this poetry collection and can’t wait to pick up more of Chloe N. Clark’s work.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2022
Later, I will think of the conversations we started. The ones interrupted. When you were explaining something to me. Or I was telling you about the dream I had. Something always came up. There is just this now: the unfinished.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book
Escaping the Body is the 2nd poetry collection ARC I read this month and, while it does have its touching moments, it really pales in comparison. Nothing against this collection and it's not fair to compare it to The Surrender Theory which turned out to be one of my favorite collections ever, but the more I read, the more disconnected I felt with this author and the more I was unable to relate and understand the written word.
I feel like there are some really interesting concepts here and I liked the incorporation of science and also magic into the metaphors but, a lot of the times, because there wasn't really a coherent enough theme or context for me to cling to, I found myself drifting and unable to get what the poem was saying. Oftentimes, I was missing the "poetry" of it all and reading it more text-like than rhythmic because I just couldn't feel it like that. Overall, there is some talent here obviously and there are really nice ways of depicting emotions that make this a worthwhile book to read, especially for fans of poetry, but ... it didn't really stand out for me.
April 29, 2022
I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this knowing that I am not huge on poetry, and exited feeling the exact same way. Poetry is a genre that is very hit or miss in general, and this collection was more of a miss. Many of the poems felt contrived, with common metaphors and overly flowery language.
The two poems that really stood out to me personally were "Error Coding" and "Osteomancy"; among all the nature metaphors, the coding and skeletal references were a welcome surprise.
I don't know who I would recommend this to. Perhaps someone who enjoys poetry would feel more strongly towards this collection, but for me it did nothing at all.
I went into this knowing that I am not huge on poetry, and exited feeling the exact same way. Poetry is a genre that is very hit or miss in general, and this collection was more of a miss. Many of the poems felt contrived, with common metaphors and overly flowery language.
The two poems that really stood out to me personally were "Error Coding" and "Osteomancy"; among all the nature metaphors, the coding and skeletal references were a welcome surprise.
I don't know who I would recommend this to. Perhaps someone who enjoys poetry would feel more strongly towards this collection, but for me it did nothing at all.
February 8, 2022
“My skin holds mostly worry underneath it’s layers, so tightly coiled as to seem still, like those guarded rattlesnakes..”
This was my first read by author Chloe N. Clark, I was curious to see how this collection of poetry felt.
The way in which the body is depicted in these pages is quite unexpected. There is a variety of perspective were some are quite visceral and others very blatant in their message. A few of these felt disturbing, enlightening and moving.
The author succeeds in allowing the reader to interpret this poetry in a way which will either comfort or disturb them. I found many quotes which I was drawn to and repetitively read them.
Overall this collection includes some dark and uplifting poetry which I enjoyed experiencing and would recommend checking out.
Escaping the Body is published on March 7th 2022.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the arc.
This was my first read by author Chloe N. Clark, I was curious to see how this collection of poetry felt.
The way in which the body is depicted in these pages is quite unexpected. There is a variety of perspective were some are quite visceral and others very blatant in their message. A few of these felt disturbing, enlightening and moving.
The author succeeds in allowing the reader to interpret this poetry in a way which will either comfort or disturb them. I found many quotes which I was drawn to and repetitively read them.
Overall this collection includes some dark and uplifting poetry which I enjoyed experiencing and would recommend checking out.
Escaping the Body is published on March 7th 2022.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the arc.
January 10, 2022
Thank you to Interstellar Flight Press and Chloe N. Clark for this ARC.
I think the problem with writing reviews for narrative poetry like this is that so much of it feels highly personal in a way that my lack of connection to it is not inherently a criticism of the work itself. I did really enjoy some of this collection, and I liked the continued horror metaphor throughout.
I think the problem with writing reviews for narrative poetry like this is that so much of it feels highly personal in a way that my lack of connection to it is not inherently a criticism of the work itself. I did really enjoy some of this collection, and I liked the continued horror metaphor throughout.
March 6, 2022
This entire collection of poetry is a love letter to surviving trauma. The collection of poems can easily have all the pieces read as a stand-alone but as a cohesive read readers explore the tangible trauma a person endures as well as the things that go bump in the night and we can’t see but we feel it.
“Have I ever noticed the things I don’t notice?”
“Have I ever noticed the things I don’t notice?”
February 15, 2022
Probably the best poetry collection I've received an ARC for (maybe ever?). really loved all of these, there were of course a few poems I kind of skimmed because they didn't grab me but I didn't think any poems were misplaced or should've been left out! Really good!!
Thanks NetGalley for the review copy!
Thanks NetGalley for the review copy!
March 10, 2022
I absolutely loved this poetry collection! The writing is beautiful, vivid and sensorial. So many vivid images came to my head while reading this poems, that encompass so many human emotions. I found it very diverse in themes and imagery, loved the references to sci fi, horror and historical figures. This was the first work I read by this author, but it will certainly not be the last.
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this amazing work!
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this amazing work!
February 22, 2022
4.5
“In stories from centuries ago,
our skin was cursed,
befouled by Gods or just because
in these stories, we cursed our bodies
and the weight of or skin
as it changed us, shaped us, made us.” (All Melusine’s Daughters)
Chloe N Clark’s Escaping the Body is a haunting collection of poems that entangles myth and science, body and soul. The poems read like dreamlike flashes exploring themes of loss, pain, femininity, life, and death.
Clark’s use of motifs relating to myths, the natural world, illusions, and space in many of the poems, especially when talking about femininity and the female experience really resonated with me. Each poem had some aspect that felt relatable to me in some way, even if only vaguely and maybe not even in the way Clark intended. The horror this collection brings comes from the melancholy ache you feel while reading these poems. The poems are lyrically written, but never feel too self-indulgent. Even myself as someone new to reading poetry was able to enjoy the beautiful riddles and metaphors in the writing while still connecting to meaning and being able to take something away from each poem.
*** Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review ***
“In stories from centuries ago,
our skin was cursed,
befouled by Gods or just because
in these stories, we cursed our bodies
and the weight of or skin
as it changed us, shaped us, made us.” (All Melusine’s Daughters)
Chloe N Clark’s Escaping the Body is a haunting collection of poems that entangles myth and science, body and soul. The poems read like dreamlike flashes exploring themes of loss, pain, femininity, life, and death.
Clark’s use of motifs relating to myths, the natural world, illusions, and space in many of the poems, especially when talking about femininity and the female experience really resonated with me. Each poem had some aspect that felt relatable to me in some way, even if only vaguely and maybe not even in the way Clark intended. The horror this collection brings comes from the melancholy ache you feel while reading these poems. The poems are lyrically written, but never feel too self-indulgent. Even myself as someone new to reading poetry was able to enjoy the beautiful riddles and metaphors in the writing while still connecting to meaning and being able to take something away from each poem.
*** Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review ***
December 14, 2021
Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC!I loved almost every other poem in the book! And the ones I didn’t love, I liked.
Escaping the Body is a surreal and profound journey through space, forests, monsters, myths, spells, magic tricks, forests, and the body. Escaping the Body is a collection of dreams of the flesh, exploring the cosmic rifts between the soul and the body and the interconnectedness of living things. From bizarre doctor visits to contemplating Zombies and our current pandemic - these poems are at once tender, terrifying, and honest.
Highlights for me included: "Undue Acidity In Your Veins" - which is a horrorfest gem, "Apocalypse Scenario" - which might be THE POEM OF THE PAST TWO YEARS for me personally, and "Sci-Fi Lesson" as well as "How to Grow Your Own Forests."
If you love horror, love nature, love exploring the cracks between existence, read this collection.
Thanks to Netgalley once again.
Escaping the Body is a surreal and profound journey through space, forests, monsters, myths, spells, magic tricks, forests, and the body. Escaping the Body is a collection of dreams of the flesh, exploring the cosmic rifts between the soul and the body and the interconnectedness of living things. From bizarre doctor visits to contemplating Zombies and our current pandemic - these poems are at once tender, terrifying, and honest.
Highlights for me included: "Undue Acidity In Your Veins" - which is a horrorfest gem, "Apocalypse Scenario" - which might be THE POEM OF THE PAST TWO YEARS for me personally, and "Sci-Fi Lesson" as well as "How to Grow Your Own Forests."
If you love horror, love nature, love exploring the cracks between existence, read this collection.
Thanks to Netgalley once again.
May 27, 2022
"We can trace everything to its roots. It's what we are especially good at. Yet still we cannot find any explanation there."
I wanted to read more poetry this year and Escaping the Body by Chloe N. Clark was a perfect start.
It is raw, honest and at times brutal. Clark weaves together all the ways we feel our bodies and how we are estranged from them. This is not an easy subject, and with so few pages she manages to say so much about it. I was impressed by how different her works were while still staying true to her chosen topic, and I enjoyed the speculative and horror vibes of some of the poems. There were only 1 or 2 that didn't really click with me, I've read all the others several times already. I was hoping for a collection that would make me feel something, and this one delivered. After getting myself a physical copy, I think I will be reading this again and again.
This is a powerful, emotional, intelligent and overall impressive collection and I will definitely read more by Chloe N. Clark.
I was especially impressed by "Missing Girl Found", "Insert Bad Joke Here" and "The Undue Acidity In Your Veins".
Thank you to Netgalley and Interstellar Flight Press for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to read more poetry this year and Escaping the Body by Chloe N. Clark was a perfect start.
It is raw, honest and at times brutal. Clark weaves together all the ways we feel our bodies and how we are estranged from them. This is not an easy subject, and with so few pages she manages to say so much about it. I was impressed by how different her works were while still staying true to her chosen topic, and I enjoyed the speculative and horror vibes of some of the poems. There were only 1 or 2 that didn't really click with me, I've read all the others several times already. I was hoping for a collection that would make me feel something, and this one delivered. After getting myself a physical copy, I think I will be reading this again and again.
This is a powerful, emotional, intelligent and overall impressive collection and I will definitely read more by Chloe N. Clark.
I was especially impressed by "Missing Girl Found", "Insert Bad Joke Here" and "The Undue Acidity In Your Veins".
Thank you to Netgalley and Interstellar Flight Press for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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