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A review by kyra_ann_writes
A Harp in the Stars: An Anthology of Lyric Essays by Randon Billings Noble, Sarah Einstein
4.0
I'm giving this collection 4 stars overall because my enjoyment of the individual essays themselves varied so much. There were some I loved, some that dizzied me, and some that I'll probably come to like more when I inevitably read this collection again. With all of that being, if the stars were solely based off of importance, this would easily get 5 stars from me. I definitely think this is a book that all writers should read.
My favorite section of the collection was the "Craft Essays" one at the end, where essayists used the lyric essay form to reflect on the process of a lyric essay's actualization. Maybe I liked it because I always like it when things get all meta. I've also, admittedly, been obsessed with reading writing about writing as of late. What I appreciated most about the "Craft Essays" is that most people confessed that the lyric essay eludes perfect definition, functioning like light, both wave and particle, oscillating in the realms of poetry, prose, and music. This is something I look forward to exploring as I read more lyric essays.
I will say that I was surprised by how much these lyric essays were shaped by their form on the pages themselves. This collection wouldn't really make sense as an audiobook. Something about that makes me sad. I assumed that lyric essays at-large would press more into orality, the life of the words beyond the page, the music beyond the score. Some of these essays felt more oral/spoken and I usually liked them more. I'm starting to recognize my preferences.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this anthology to others, especially other authors. Now, I'm inspired to write a lyric essay of my own someday. I'll return back to this anthology for inspiration.
My favorite section of the collection was the "Craft Essays" one at the end, where essayists used the lyric essay form to reflect on the process of a lyric essay's actualization. Maybe I liked it because I always like it when things get all meta. I've also, admittedly, been obsessed with reading writing about writing as of late. What I appreciated most about the "Craft Essays" is that most people confessed that the lyric essay eludes perfect definition, functioning like light, both wave and particle, oscillating in the realms of poetry, prose, and music. This is something I look forward to exploring as I read more lyric essays.
I will say that I was surprised by how much these lyric essays were shaped by their form on the pages themselves. This collection wouldn't really make sense as an audiobook. Something about that makes me sad. I assumed that lyric essays at-large would press more into orality, the life of the words beyond the page, the music beyond the score. Some of these essays felt more oral/spoken and I usually liked them more. I'm starting to recognize my preferences.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this anthology to others, especially other authors. Now, I'm inspired to write a lyric essay of my own someday. I'll return back to this anthology for inspiration.