Another month, another bit of rule-bending.
Over the summer, I listened to All Things Considered’s portrait of the newly appointed U.S. Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo, the first Native American to ever hold the position. And, last month, the arrival of her first book of poetry as Poet Laureate returned her to the spotlight.
So, let me start by saying that I realize that poetry is not for everyone. This is true for old poetry, with its repetitive rhymes and rigid structure, but it is also exceptionally true for much of modern poetry, which can sometimes read like some sort of self-indulgent exercise in emotional riddle-making.
But, after hearing an interview with poet Franny Choi, I couldn’t wait to get a hold of her new book of poetry, Soft Science. I usually love poetry and was intrigued by the ways Choi said she wove together the threads of politics, gender, sexuality and technology in her new collection. She also said that she did so using the language of technology and science, which I thought had to be super cool.
This is Lovelace’s final installment in her “women are some kind of magic” series. Each of these books has required me to slow down, reread, and focus on self care.
As I hope you remember, I fell in love with Amanda Lovelace’s poetry books a couple months ago. I started with The Princess Saves Herself in This One, and immediately needed more. Luckily for me, Lovelace released To Make Monsters Out of Girls last month. I knew I needed to pick up a copy once I was off of my buying ban.
A little while back, I read The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace, and the following day, I bought the second book, The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One. They are both parts of the “women are some sort of magic” series, and they live up to that title.
I’ve been reading a lot of fiction. It’s my favorite genre, and is usually easiest for me to read, because escaping into books can be truly wonderful. But sometimes, I need a little dose of nonfiction; a moment to live in someone else’s story. I picked up The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace not knowing what exactly was in store, but I’m glad I checked it out.