indigo78180's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
I wasn’t terribly hooked on this book of poetry and verse until the middle section, where Alsadir has what is basically a long prose piece about the “you” subject of lyric and the “I,” which is the “fourth person singular” of the title. It was a brilliant meditation on poeticism, literary philosophy, physics, and psychology. I wish the rest of this collection had as much direction and cohesion as this piece, but even though they often don’t, I think it’s worth reading this book just for that middle section.
casparb's review against another edition
Absolutely one of the most unique collections of the past few years I loved this I can see myself citing it in future & I think Alsadir is incredibly on the mark with her assessment of the modern lyric - this is a long section midway which expands upon this through Lacan and Einstein and so on.
I’m not surprised Claudia Rankine loves this I think it’d be worthwhile going through Citizen via Nuar Alsadir this generation of the fourth-person singular could be, for me, the defining mark of success in contemporary queer and postcolonial poems.
I remember SBW loving this too he presents it as an idiosyncratic expression between poetry and prose I like this assessment I think she’s visible even unintentionally so among a lot of contemporary poets today.
I’m not surprised Claudia Rankine loves this I think it’d be worthwhile going through Citizen via Nuar Alsadir this generation of the fourth-person singular could be, for me, the defining mark of success in contemporary queer and postcolonial poems.
I remember SBW loving this too he presents it as an idiosyncratic expression between poetry and prose I like this assessment I think she’s visible even unintentionally so among a lot of contemporary poets today.
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