Starred Wire

by Ange Mlinko

“A fine-grained light like that of a nineteenth-century Danish landscape painting shimmers throughout these gorgeously tactile and tactful poems.”—John Ashbery “A heady heady brew—O’Hara conversation, Ashbery sophistication, Koch hilarity, Schuyler shapeliness, Guest adventures, Notley grain, Mayer utopia, Padgett whimsy, Oulipo oofs.”—Bob Holman, National Poetry Series judge Mlinko was hailed by Publishers Weekly as “one of the most exciting American poets under 40.” Her Starred Wire reaches across continents of language where, as in Borges, dream logic dictates an interactive, delirious exploration of art and childhood, place and possibility. Author of Matinées , Ange Mlinko lives in Brooklyn with her husband and young son.

Genres: Poetry

70 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Ange Mlinko is an American poet. The author of four books of poetry, she is currently an associate professor in the English department at the University of Florida. She was the poetry editor for The Nation from 2013-2016.

Reviews

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were few moments that were quote-worthy, and a few poems (La and Contretemps among them) that I really really liked. But mostly, especially in the middle, I was bored. The back of the book says that Ange has the sophistication of John Ashberry. I find the idea of sophistication in poetry very boring. Thus my 3 stars are because she has crafted good poems, but they do not excite me or make me feel anything.

[Jeff T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first time I tried to read it, the book made little sense to me and the high diction seemed overly conspicuous. This time around I still felt lost for the most part, but the language seemed appropriate to the experience I had with the poems. There's an amiability to Mlinko's poems that arrives as a late invitation to pleasure of acquaintance. I'm sure I'll be back.

[Eddie Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh... as far as pure synthetic pleasures go this poetry is as close as aspartame can come to pure cane

[Liz Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once (very long ago) gave a reading with Ange at a small poetry gathering in MA. I'm now delighted to be reading the work of such a dedicated poet.

[C Rex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars times sixteen.

[Hillary Smith-Maddern · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few moments I found profound. Most of this collection, however, felt very try hard to me. From the grammar — sometimes first lines are capitalized and sometimes they’re not with seemingly no reason — to the metaphors that didn’t ever anchor, I was often left wondering, “What?”

[Brendan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The occasional good line, but not a single full poem worth mentioning.

Seething like champagne or a midnight city where girls
Cross big avenues alone
- "Femme Fatale Geography"

It's the sort of weather Tybalt murdered Mercutio in.
- "The Most Awkward Hugger"

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her use of diction is so striking, but it pretty much ends there. I learned like 100 new words from this!