alisonburnis's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
There is nothing better than a chunky collection of poems from a great poet, so Dionne Brand putting out this collection immediately grabbed my interest. Brand is one of my favourite poets; her epic Ossuaries (which is in this collection too) is amazing, and her gift for writing thoughtful, fantastical stories in poem is really exquisite. A Brand poem is a critical lesson and a class in storytelling all in one.
This collection brings together her poems from the early 1980s through to the present and to a new poem, the titular Nomenclature, published here in 2022. And yes, it deals with the pandemic. But Brand is both gentle and eviscerating with her examination of this strange time. I tried to make myself sit with each part, but my hunger for more of Brand’s words won out.
This collection brings together her poems from the early 1980s through to the present and to a new poem, the titular Nomenclature, published here in 2022. And yes, it deals with the pandemic. But Brand is both gentle and eviscerating with her examination of this strange time. I tried to make myself sit with each part, but my hunger for more of Brand’s words won out.
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