Old Gods

by Conor Kerr

Métis Ukrainian writer Conor Kerr’s sharp and incisive poems move restlessly across landscapes and time. Conor Kerr’s poetry is in constant motion. 4Runners streak through the night, racing with coyotes and roving across the land. Buses travel from town to town, from one memory to another, from past to present. Friends and lovers search for each other on Instagram and find nothing. And always the natural world travels the watching magpies, woodpeckers and cedar waxwings, the coyotes and porcupines. Family is the crisp wings of mallard ducks flying at dawn, just as it is a game of crib, a Mario Kart race, a dance party. Old Gods defies colonialism on the Prairies. Kerr situates his reader in the Métis the old gods of the land are alive within the rivers, the birds, the hills and the prairies that surround us, and they’ll always be here.

Genres: Poetry, Indigenous, Canada

96 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[Cail Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s moving how Conor wants to take the land back to it’s original state through language. Powerful, emotive poetry that isn’t afraid to keep its edges rough. I’m a big fan.

[Michael Garrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible collection

[Qian · Rating 3 out of 5]

OKAY i LOOOOOVE the first few poems and the last one but the middle ones i was GONE im sorry. like the one about cooking breakfast?!? oml

and that one abt the confessions?? ahh

the last one was so lovely i love poems that just describes things in a certain order but there’s an overarching theme urgh so beautiful

also can we talk abt the cover bro the designer ate

okay i got influenced by peer pressure by reading the other reviews and i just remembered how much i liked some of the poems i wanna give this a 3.5 but idk if i can

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young life’s truth, returning the prairie lands and its stories to reality.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful little collection, extra appreciated for that Vancouver/prairie vibe.

[Seamus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of poetry

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great poems!!

[Sierra "Sex Panther" 69 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Lord, it's me, Conor/... But really I just wanted to say that you should get the fuck out of Dodge./ Your days on kitaskinaw are numbered."

HOLY FUCK

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conor Kerr writes beautifully about indigenity and the prairies. Any book by him is an automatic "must read."

[Rachel Zilkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the imagery and confident writing in these poems.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

deeply moving and real, less metaphor and more open honesty

[Elena Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. really enjoyed this

[Daniel Fedak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I ever wrote