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A review by apartmentcat
Speculate: A Collection of Microlit by Eugen Bacon, Dominique Hecq
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Speculate: A Collection of Microlit is a collection of prose poetry by Australian authors Eugene Bacon and Dominique Hecq. In each of the two halves of the book, one author begins with a poem, and the other responds with a poem of their own. The ideas bounce back and forth like a tennis match, picking up on themes or details in the previous piece, and working them into their own. Each poem is short, none longer than a page, some only a few sentences, but all are rich in imagery and evocation. Some were lofty in their themes, and others spoke of everyday occurrences.
The two authors span a great width of diversity -- one a career author and university lecturer, the other a Black immigrant who gave up a career in computing for one in writing. Yet there are also points of similarity and relateability between them. Both are women, and both live in the same city (the city I live in!), with its unique quirks and secrets. To watch them play off against each other was fascinating. I don't read much poetry, and certainly not an extended collection (the book is 136 pages long), but I found myself being drawn in and pulled towards the end by the linked nature of the pieces.
The book itself, though an ebook, is beautifully decorated throughout with monochrome watercolour backgrounds and motifs. I was pleasantly surprised at this level of detail and care. A nice touch is that the alternate poems are in italics, so I was easily able to keep track of which author had written each piece.
I enjoyed this collection much more than I thought I would, and would like to read more prose poetry and microlit in the future.
Would I read more by these authors? Yes!
Please note: this book was provided for me to read and review by the publisher. You can rest assured however, that this is (as always) an honest review!
The two authors span a great width of diversity -- one a career author and university lecturer, the other a Black immigrant who gave up a career in computing for one in writing. Yet there are also points of similarity and relateability between them. Both are women, and both live in the same city (the city I live in!), with its unique quirks and secrets. To watch them play off against each other was fascinating. I don't read much poetry, and certainly not an extended collection (the book is 136 pages long), but I found myself being drawn in and pulled towards the end by the linked nature of the pieces.
The book itself, though an ebook, is beautifully decorated throughout with monochrome watercolour backgrounds and motifs. I was pleasantly surprised at this level of detail and care. A nice touch is that the alternate poems are in italics, so I was easily able to keep track of which author had written each piece.
I enjoyed this collection much more than I thought I would, and would like to read more prose poetry and microlit in the future.
Would I read more by these authors? Yes!
Please note: this book was provided for me to read and review by the publisher. You can rest assured however, that this is (as always) an honest review!