Poetry Readers Challenge discussion

I purchased this book at a reading, after enjoying the musicality of the poems Aronson read. The book won the 2016 Orison Poetry Prize, and was a finalist for the 2017 New Mexico Book Award. The title intrigues yet mystifies me. Atalanta is a form of azalea, but that doesn’t seem to fit. In mythology, Atalanta was abandoned by her father, who wanted a son. Atalanta is also a virgin huntress who, when ordered to marry, said she would marry the man who could win a footrace against her. Part of the myth is that Aphrodite gave her suitor three gold apples to drop in Atalanta’s path. As she stopped to retrieve the apples, he won the race. This seems a more likely interpretation of the title, especially with the surrealistic aspects of many of the poems, which are filled with fire, flood, and dreams.

Aronson’s poetry is a slight stretch for me, certainly not incomprehensible, but just a smidge out of my reach. Her wordplay is terrific, and the sounds and lilt of her lines are quite enjoyable. However, I found some of the poems a bit confusing, leaving me with a “huh” reaction.

“Dream Dictionary Abecedarian” is one of the best abcedarians I’ve ever read. This is a form where each line starts with a letter of the alphabet, A-Z, and many times the poem seems to me contrived. However, this one flows, and the form is unobtrusive, which meets my judgment of a good form poem.

Another favorite is “The Museum of Inattention”:
Here is a room of forgotten sweaters,
the orange silk scarf left at the Vancouver airport,
single gloves leaping from pockets,

As I re-read the book while writing this review, I appreciate Aronson’s skill with language and images. I think this is a book to read and ingest slowly.

Ghost Child of the Atalanta Bloom

Thanks for sharing this review, Nina. I, too, must confess to hating almost every abecedarian I've ever read, so I'm vicariously glad to hear you've discovered an enjoyable one! And I love the sound of this book's title.

The title and the reading drew me in. Jenna, one of my first thoughts while starting my review was "Jenna would enjoy this book." It was a subconscious reaction, meant as a compliment. I intend to re-read it after the craziness of this time of year wanes.

Nina wrote: "The title and the reading drew me in. Jenna, one of my first thoughts while starting my review was "Jenna would enjoy this book." It was a subconscious reaction, meant as a compliment. I intend to ..."

:-) I frequently come across poems that make me think "Nina would like this."

Thanks! On a nothing-to-do-with-writing note, has your hospital been impacted by the Ringer's shortage? We're a Level 1 trauma center and it's really hitting us.