A review by dhiyanah
What We Carry by Dorianne Laux

challenging dark slow-paced

3.0

Picked this up for a reading challenge. I used to enjoy Laux's and similar styled poetry back when immersing in literature that named damage and harm was one of the things that helped me feel seen in an isolated and pained life. Catharsis via creative engagement is important, but the trajectory of growth means that's just the first step - and having crossed that threshold, I wanted to make sure I was also honoring what got me here. So that was another motivation for choosing this to read this year. I do appreciate poetry that plumbs the depths so the shadows can be seen. But this book was not up to my current taste. Aside from a few old faves that were still moving, I found it hard to feel held or seen by this collection, as my experience of it - with multi-cultural and decolonized contexts - had me grating against outdated references and abrupt tonal shifts.
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