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johnreinhartpoet's review
5.0
Drawing heavily on her relationship to the natural world, Backer's chapbook is a worthy winner of the 2015 Turtle Island Poetry Award. In 26 pages of poetry, she draws the reader into her observations of the egret, water horse, wasp, tree, coyote, wolf, goose, owl, crow, and human being. Her poems are simultaneously accessible and startling. Most striking to me were "Citizen Coma" and "The Drowning Man." The former contains the lines "...If I throw a melting glacier / in your face, will you wake?" The poem "Wasp nest" also stood out to me, describing the destruction of nature's beauty out of simple fear.
The social sensitivity of her work kept me thoroughly engaged. The deftness of her language, form, and insight made these poems sing. I highly recommend this collection.
The social sensitivity of her work kept me thoroughly engaged. The deftness of her language, form, and insight made these poems sing. I highly recommend this collection.
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