insignificant

by B. Elizabeth Beck, Kevin R. Neumann (Illustrator), Barbara Bergmann (Editor)

Unflinching could be one way to describe this debut collection. Raw could be another, as these unfiltered poems are thick with the pulp of anger and cast a narrative that stings. There is a mess that an uncle and a father and fort-building, prep-school boys could make of a girl's body, but after, there is also the truth and what it can wield. Here, you will not find perfect poems, no, but you will find a perfect kind of courage, a bravery that quite unpredictably signs off with something any survivor would do well to “Live well. The cliché is true. It is the best revenge." –Nickole Brown, author of Sister In her inaugural full-length collection, Elizabeth Beck proves herself an earnest and courageous new voice. insignificant kaleidoscopes through a spectrum of emotion rooted in agonizing depths of cloistered pain. Reflective, instructive, and intimate, these poems lament, luxuriate, and sometimes they just let loose and howl. Beck unflinchingly empties every pocket and drawer, cracks up every floorboard, committed to not only exploring but living alongside the specters of her past. –Bianca Spriggs, Affrilachian Poet; author of Kaffir Lily In insignificant , Elizabeth Beck provides compelling witness to the violence–and its tragic after-effects–that too many girls suffer, without the ability to give it this kind of important voice. In stunning imagery, Beck sheds light on what can only be called crimes against humanity. –Sue William Silverman, author of Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You

Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2020

About the author

B. Elizabeth Beck is the author of five collections of poetry, including Mama Tried (Broadstone Books), winner of the American Book Fest Prize for Poetry. She is the author of the Summer Tour Trilogy. Under the Elm placed as finalist for the Book Excellence Awards. Swan Songs is her debut collection of short stories. She was a finalist in the Kentucky State Poetry Society Grand Prix Prize and has been nominated several times for the Pushcart Prize. Elizabeth is a recipient of The Kentucky Foundation for Women grant. Her work appears in journals and anthologies, including Poetica Magazine, Appalachian Review, Limestone Blue, and Harvard Education Press. Elizabeth founded two poetry series, Teen Howl and Poetry at the/ˈtā-bəl/ in Lexington, Kentucky. For more information about Elizabeth: www.elizbeck.com

Reviews

[Casey Kiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning is right.

worms crawl through cotton
flowered panties turned inside out
in haste & maggots squirm
through my eye sockets
gaping empty soul of sprawled
corpse of my little girl
self forced open
& mouth stuffed
with salty hideous crime
that you refuse to see,
mommy

This poem is called 'plea'.
A must read.