Herringbone

by Erelah Emerson

A year of diary entries in the form of a haiku, from the author of Queen of Cowards and Erratic and Unnecessary

Genres: Poetry

221 pages, Paperback

Published August 28, 2022

Reviews

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book five stars not because I think every haiku here deserves five stars, but because this is such a deeply personal and vulnerable collection unlike anything I’ve seen from Emerson so far…and I want to applaud that because I got so emotional in this book. It’s a book of confusion and pain and anger and longing.

And that’s worth five stars.

[Martina Weiß · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/ 5 Stars

Review a few moments after I finished :

Gonna review this later.
Have to pick the pieces of my heart off of the floor first.

Update:

It's been a while, but I've finally found the time to review this book.
I stand by the words I spoke shortly after I was done. This made me very emotional. It didn't hit quite as hard as Queen of Cowards - at least, not for me personally. But it still hit me right in the feels, causing me to cry in public. (Please don't shame me for reading in public, I'm a menace to myself, but that's a story for another day. :P )

I'm a huge fan of Haiku and seeing them used to their full potential was very nice. I guess Haiku's aren't a poetry form everyone could and/or would enjoy, but please, don't let the form discourage you from picking this one up, because the content of the Haiku's is amazing.

The theme and atmospehre was - overall - pretty tense and heavy. Again, I'm not chronically ill, but I am depressed so some of the poems hit close to home.

The art is a great addition to the poetry and the cover is absolutly stunning.

I'm very glad I read this book. Can reccomand.

[Erelah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thought it would be about fish. Was not about fish.

[Ben Ditmars · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book. Emerson is one of my favorite authors and poets and they did not disappoint. From artwork that is joltingly unique, to haiku that is as modern as it is powerful, you experience a day in the life of someone surviving their chronic illness. In that it is everything haiku should aspire to be: funny, real, mind blowing and aspirational. Each day has its highs and lows, but somehow Emerson captures even the most mundane elements (like her father eating peanut butter) and finds a deeper meaning. I am left with many favorites and this is only one of them.

" Guardian angel,
did you get lost along the
way and leave me here? "

[Alex Silvius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Herringbone is my least favourite Emerson so far, yet is still such a solid collection. I think haikus get a little redundant after a hundred pages. Pace yourself with this one.