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Synaptic
An award-winning poet attempts to map the brain's neural connections, raising fundamental questions about identity and interiority.
This intricate, yearning work from award-winning poet Alison Calder asks us to think about the way we perceive and the ways in which we seek to know ourselves and others.
In Synaptic, each section explores key themes in science, neurology, and perception. The first, Connectomics, riffs on scientific language to work with and against that language's intentions. Attempting to map the brain's neural connections, it raises fundamental questions about interiority and the self. The lyric considerations in these poems are juxtaposed against the scientific-like footnotes which, in turn, invoke questions undermining authority and power. The second section, Other Disasters, explores ways of seeing or and being seen, from considerations of folklore to modern art to daily life.
The speakers in these poems are searching for knowledge. Everyone is looking for a miracle.
This intricate, yearning work from award-winning poet Alison Calder asks us to think about the way we perceive and the ways in which we seek to know ourselves and others.
In Synaptic, each section explores key themes in science, neurology, and perception. The first, Connectomics, riffs on scientific language to work with and against that language's intentions. Attempting to map the brain's neural connections, it raises fundamental questions about interiority and the self. The lyric considerations in these poems are juxtaposed against the scientific-like footnotes which, in turn, invoke questions undermining authority and power. The second section, Other Disasters, explores ways of seeing or and being seen, from considerations of folklore to modern art to daily life.
The speakers in these poems are searching for knowledge. Everyone is looking for a miracle.
- GenresPoetry
73 pages, Paperback
Published April 2, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 5, 2022
Alison Calder is an award-winning poet and Synaptic is her third poetry collection. This collection is ambitious and asks us to think about the way we perceive and the ways in which we seek to know ourselves and others.
“I’m in love with Alison Calder’s poems.”
-JEANETTE LYNES
This collection strives to map the brain’s neural connections, raising fundamental questions about identity and interiority. From the first poem and section of the book, Calder called Connectomics. What is Connectomics? Connectomics is the study of the brain’s structural and functional connections between cells, which is visualized as a connectome. The connectome is a map of all neural connections in a brain and connectomics is the mapping of these connections. Calder will have you thinking about ways to improve our connection to our brain and how one maps out our thought process.
In a good many of the poems, Calder gives a definition of the neurological terms which is usually the title in a footnote. These are very helpful and important to read. Not only was I learning something new in almost every poem I read, but it also got me thinking and diving deeper into my mind. Not only did these poems get my thoughts racing on what each poem could mean. They also helped me open up my mind to think clearer and more scientifically.
The second part of the poetry is under a section named Other Fires. This collection of poems is more stories of reflection and one’s identity. Both poems Selkie and Trolls can mirror one person having two parts to their identity or even the way we want people to see us. A Selkie, like a Troll, is a mythological creature. A Selkie sheds its skin from a seal form to a human just like in life we can shed our past ideals to make room for new thoughts and grow and change as a person.
The speakers in these poems are searching for knowledge. Everyone is looking for a miracle from the inner thoughts of our brain. I don’t think our brain holds the answers to every question but if we can open up our ideas on how we can learn faster, be smarter, hold more information and in turn have a more functioning mind frame and views.
Calder was able to expand my mind and thought process throughout this whole collection of creative and remarkable poetry.
“I’m in love with Alison Calder’s poems.”
-JEANETTE LYNES
This collection strives to map the brain’s neural connections, raising fundamental questions about identity and interiority. From the first poem and section of the book, Calder called Connectomics. What is Connectomics? Connectomics is the study of the brain’s structural and functional connections between cells, which is visualized as a connectome. The connectome is a map of all neural connections in a brain and connectomics is the mapping of these connections. Calder will have you thinking about ways to improve our connection to our brain and how one maps out our thought process.
In a good many of the poems, Calder gives a definition of the neurological terms which is usually the title in a footnote. These are very helpful and important to read. Not only was I learning something new in almost every poem I read, but it also got me thinking and diving deeper into my mind. Not only did these poems get my thoughts racing on what each poem could mean. They also helped me open up my mind to think clearer and more scientifically.
The second part of the poetry is under a section named Other Fires. This collection of poems is more stories of reflection and one’s identity. Both poems Selkie and Trolls can mirror one person having two parts to their identity or even the way we want people to see us. A Selkie, like a Troll, is a mythological creature. A Selkie sheds its skin from a seal form to a human just like in life we can shed our past ideals to make room for new thoughts and grow and change as a person.
The speakers in these poems are searching for knowledge. Everyone is looking for a miracle from the inner thoughts of our brain. I don’t think our brain holds the answers to every question but if we can open up our ideas on how we can learn faster, be smarter, hold more information and in turn have a more functioning mind frame and views.
Calder was able to expand my mind and thought process throughout this whole collection of creative and remarkable poetry.
April 21, 2022
Great poems!
Thank you to University of Regina Press for my gifted review copy!
Thank you to University of Regina Press for my gifted review copy!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews