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minimallibrary's review
this was such a powerful collection.
thankful to Maxine for pouring her soul out and being so honest and raw.
themes include racism, equality, feminism, fighting through adversity, discrimination, violence and much more.
the collection also explores current events and issues we have been or are currently dealing with in australia and around the world. for instance, Maxine put 2020 into a perfect summary in ‘fire moves faster.
my other favourites from this collection are when the decade broke, winter, muscle memory, wolf pack and the memory of your better half.
thankful to Maxine for pouring her soul out and being so honest and raw.
themes include racism, equality, feminism, fighting through adversity, discrimination, violence and much more.
the collection also explores current events and issues we have been or are currently dealing with in australia and around the world. for instance, Maxine put 2020 into a perfect summary in ‘fire moves faster.
my other favourites from this collection are when the decade broke, winter, muscle memory, wolf pack and the memory of your better half.
desterman's review
5.0
I read this collection by Maxine Beneba Clarke in one sitting and immediately wanted to go back and read it again. Published towards the end of 2021 it is a reflection on the contextual circumstances surrounding the birth of this decade – examining the social, political, and historical aspects that have positioned the world in such darkness – racism, sexism, violence, climate catastrophe, and pandemic. The poems are emotional and powerful, but so incredibly accessible. Clarke really has her finger on the pulse of this moment in time, capturing the zeitgeist so well. She beautifully articulates humanity’s capacity for both hateful self-destruction, as well as the undeniable belief in hope. She also forces us to meditate on what an extraordinary time it is in which we are living.
cec_loves_to_read_books's review
5.0
Oh what a brilliant collection; an authentic and poetic snapshot in time - through fire, flood, #metoo, banking royal commissions, Biloela deportations, lockdowns, Black Lives Matter, bloated cod on the Murray, Northface jackets news conferences and more.
The list of stand out poems could actually just be the contents pages as there is something about every poem that just makes you stop to pause and think and question and sigh/cry. But a few that resonated for me were:
Something Sure
Grace
My Feminism
Fire Moves Faster
I honestly can’t recommend it enough. I’m going to order myself a copy immediately to have on my ‘read and loved shelf’ because parting with this library book will be tough.
Every time I read an Australian poetry book I ask myself why don’t I read more of this. Poets like Maxine just have a way of capturing the essence of our hidden thoughts and fears in such a concise and clever way.
The list of stand out poems could actually just be the contents pages as there is something about every poem that just makes you stop to pause and think and question and sigh/cry. But a few that resonated for me were:
Something Sure
Grace
My Feminism
Fire Moves Faster
I honestly can’t recommend it enough. I’m going to order myself a copy immediately to have on my ‘read and loved shelf’ because parting with this library book will be tough.
Every time I read an Australian poetry book I ask myself why don’t I read more of this. Poets like Maxine just have a way of capturing the essence of our hidden thoughts and fears in such a concise and clever way.
thisgirl_writes's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
leahryan's review
challenging
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.0
zzara's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
People speak about 'no skips albums,' this is a no skips book of poetry. Every single poem is absolutely beautiful. How Decent Folk Behave hit me right in the heart, it spoke to me in a way that made me feel like it was written for me. It spoke to my strange nostalgia for COVID lockdowns in Melbourne (something I probably need to unpack in therapy), capturing what I feel about those times, the good and the bad, with such accuracy. Even the poems that didn't speak directly to my experience, about the experience of racism in Australia, about having children, were written so accurately and devastatingly. The rhythm of these poems, dipping in an out of rhyme, was just beautiful, and the lack of capital letters was the cherry on top of this five-star cake.
theunrealerin's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Completely brilliant. Beneba Clarke writes books and poetry that sings of my childhood and my life while simultaneously challenging me and forcing me to sit with discomfort because her experience is noy my experience.
This collection has incredibly captured so much of the last 3 years and is evocative and moving.
This collection has incredibly captured so much of the last 3 years and is evocative and moving.
sarahrose14's review
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Hate crime, Racism, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings