Reviews

Still Life with Two Dead Peacocks and a Girl by Diane Seuss

rienthril's review against another edition

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4.0

I am 100% into the first half of this collection, and then spotty for the rest. Look up the paintings if you don’t know them (I didn’t). It helps. Unless the poem isn’t about a painting, in which case you’re wasting your time (I did, cuz I didn’t know—how am I supposed to know which poems are about paintings if I don’t really know anything about paintings (or poems)?). But still, some of these poems are on fire. Walmart parking lots as Jackson Pollocks? Sign me up! Read it, sucka.

lauraew333's review against another edition

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dark emotional

5.0

davidjordan's review against another edition

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5.0

I recently attended a poetry reading which featured the author of this fantastic volume. To be fair, I was there to hear the other poet on the program, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, who is one of my favorites. Without expecting to, I became just as fascinated with Diane Seuss's contribution to the event and couldn't wait to explore her work further. I purchased Still Life... at the signing table and eagerly devoured this amazing book. After reading these poems, I was simultaneously thrilled with my introduction to Suess's work and disappointed in myself for not being familiar with her earlier. I'm excited to read more of her as soon as possible.

mezzoanddolce's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

2.0

helterskelliter's review against another edition

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4.0

“Still life with convenience store pecking order shotgun blast to the face” (47)

Another beautifully odd and delightfully irreverent collection of poetry that looks out on life’s galleries, her masterpieces and contemplative still-lifes, her mastery of chiaroscuro and abstraction, and frantically searches for escape routes.

This collection challenges the gilded frames of art and the museum’s marble floors, confronts our notions of what “appreciation” for art entails and who is entitled to that appreciation. Further, this poetry identifies the cemetery as its own gallery and us, the art within. We are all art, true art, in our rotting and failing; our decomposition is it’s own making.

There is one exit and we are all going through it. Hard and fast, painful and slow, headfirst and bloody, sad and silent.

I really appreciated this collection’s unabashed and unapologetic honesty. This poetry is ugly and gruesome, shining light on our most unflattering angles removing the pretense and artifice to reveal the flesh and bone beneath, smiling “without amusement”.

Highly recommend this collection! It’s brutal in the best ways~

lifesaverscandyofficial's review against another edition

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5.0

Di does it again!

aristosakaion's review against another edition

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3.0

probably my least favorite seuss, but i'm still able to glean slivers of her brilliance in the language

e___ee's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

angel_kiiss's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced

4.0

A beautiful ode to art and paintings, although, sometimes the poetry is lacking

losethegirl's review against another edition

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reflective tense slow-paced

3.0