Scan barcode
undermeyou's review
5.0
I think I enjoyed this more than Calling a Wolf a Wolf—obviously there is quite a bit of crossover but this felt more digestible in a way that made me want to immediately read it again.
vulturetime's review against another edition
4.0
Review is coming at this as if I had never read any of Akbar's poems before. This is because I've already read (and really enjoyed) three of the poems in here, but since I encountered them in a different context (in Calling a Wolf a Wolf) they felt jarring to me personally. This collection is also smaller than Calling a Wolf a Wolf, so there was less "space" for me to get back into the collection as it stands on its own. If you don't like dealing with repeat poems, I'd recommend Portrait of the Alcoholic first and then Calling a Wolf a Wolf.
Of the poems that were new to me, I really liked "Being in This World Makes Me Feel Like A Time Traveler," "Portrait of the Alcoholic Three Weeks Sober," and "Every Drunk Wants to Die Sober / It's How We Beat the Game." Honorary mentions to "Personal Inventory: Fearless (Temporis Fila)," "Desunt Nonnulla," and "Eager." The poems that I've read before (and enjoyed all of them) were: "Calling a Wolf a Wolf (inpatient)," "Do You Speak Persian?" and "Portrait of the Alcoholic Stranded Alone on a Desert Island."
Of the poems that were new to me, I really liked "Being in This World Makes Me Feel Like A Time Traveler," "Portrait of the Alcoholic Three Weeks Sober," and "Every Drunk Wants to Die Sober / It's How We Beat the Game." Honorary mentions to "Personal Inventory: Fearless (Temporis Fila)," "Desunt Nonnulla," and "Eager." The poems that I've read before (and enjoyed all of them) were: "Calling a Wolf a Wolf (inpatient)," "Do You Speak Persian?" and "Portrait of the Alcoholic Stranded Alone on a Desert Island."
laurelinwonder's review
5.0
When the poetry is really good, I read it aloud, so I can taste the language. I read this collection aloud for my baby, for my cat, for my husband, for anyone who could hear the cadence of my voice.
Each portrait is an epistle, Akbar’s portraiture reflects the shared history of the addresser and addressee, “the drinker and the drink.”
This book is also about the poet’s relationship to language. In “Calling a Wolf a Wolf (Inpatient),” the speaker attempts to control his cravings by naming them, as if the signifier would protect him from the signified. “I’ve given this coldness many names,” Akbar writes, “thinking if I called a wolf a wolf I might dull its fangs.”
This is a killer collection, read it now.
Each portrait is an epistle, Akbar’s portraiture reflects the shared history of the addresser and addressee, “the drinker and the drink.”
This book is also about the poet’s relationship to language. In “Calling a Wolf a Wolf (Inpatient),” the speaker attempts to control his cravings by naming them, as if the signifier would protect him from the signified. “I’ve given this coldness many names,” Akbar writes, “thinking if I called a wolf a wolf I might dull its fangs.”
This is a killer collection, read it now.
csamura's review
4.0
I prepared myself to be underwhelmed with this, having just picked it up on a whim. What initially felt mediocre at best rose in a subtle and often beautiful crescendo. Words that were often raw and hungry, sometimes delicate and tender, with nostalgic reflections on youth and honest self-depreciation. This was a worthwhile, albeit rather short, book of poetry.