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A review by anniemackillican
NDN Coping Mechanisms: Notes from the Field by Billy-Ray Belcourt
5.0
As usual I am continuously impressed and astonished by Billy Ray Belcourt’s work. His ability to capture the queer Indigenous experience is one that is virtually unmatched, and his politicization of poetry is so admirable.
This book has been out a while, and has received its fair share of accolades, so my recommendation is nothing groundbreaking, but I really did love this book. Not only does Belcourt create what I think is a perfect collection of poetry pertaining to the imagery and feeling of identity, both queer and NDN, but he creates a sort of Indigenous Literature canon, where specific works by other authors are referenced to create a little world within a book, or an NDN utopia. It’s very comforting.
I also found this less sad than This Wound is a World, which was good, because I don’t always need to be sobbing in the middle of the day.
My favourite line in this entire work was “Top me, but ontologically.” Obsessed with that. Give it a read if you’re looking for some more poetry for your library!
This book has been out a while, and has received its fair share of accolades, so my recommendation is nothing groundbreaking, but I really did love this book. Not only does Belcourt create what I think is a perfect collection of poetry pertaining to the imagery and feeling of identity, both queer and NDN, but he creates a sort of Indigenous Literature canon, where specific works by other authors are referenced to create a little world within a book, or an NDN utopia. It’s very comforting.
I also found this less sad than This Wound is a World, which was good, because I don’t always need to be sobbing in the middle of the day.
My favourite line in this entire work was “Top me, but ontologically.” Obsessed with that. Give it a read if you’re looking for some more poetry for your library!