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kayla_can_read's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Only because I needed more context
ghmcculloch's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
sbelasco40's review
4.0
Really lively and diverse book of poems with many different forms and styles. The poet is deaf and blind and the poems translated from ASL, as well as the protactile poems (done through touches on the body) were fascinating and beautiful.
rlafleur85's review
5.0
Winner of the 2023 Minnesota Book Award in Poetry, John Lee Clark explores dynamic aspects of communication and identity. Clark a DeafBlind poet, transports readers through the world in his six-part-collection How to Communicate. Clark’s writing talents extend through works of long-form, erasures (which draw upon text a century old or older), and free verse. A strong erasure is “The Rebuttal.” The lines: “Guide, passion, catch what / Hath no speech.” Clark builds this theme of visibility in the Author’s Note, noting changes to the written punctuation in English Braille, American Edition, (EBAE) which also drastically impacts the stylistic details in his poetry. Another standout is “Sorrow and Joy” where the block form is written in repeated sentences causing the reader to examine both sorrowfully and joyfully. “My Braille student showed up forty-five minutes early today. My Braille student showed up forty-five minutes early today.” Clark reminds us that hands impact many people in our world directly and indirectly. In “Rebuilding” his grandfather’s hands and the communication they expressed are the focus: “My grandfather spanked her. … / He didn’t have the words to tell her. / His hands creaked to life.” There are people who interact and communicate with the DeafBlind like teachers “Mrs. Schulz”, airport assistants “On My Return from a Business Trip,” and politicians “The Politician.” The miscommunication in “The Politician” adds humor in the collection: “You will have a constipation future … I’m your constipation senator.” Clark reinforces that poetry in language and genre is universal.