A review by isaiahh
Far District: Poems by Ishion Hutchinson

challenging reflective tense

3.0

my body has forgotten me, / in the hunger for words

Far District is a heavy collection of poems that read like childhood fragments you aren't sure are memories or fever dreams. Weighted with historical context and infused with mythology, each poem is a story on its own, but they all work together to form this overarching narrative of growing up in Jamaica.

While at times some pieces felt jarringly abstract, looking back on this collection once I had read it in its entirety, the story made more sense. I think Far District is a work that demands and rewards re-reads. It truly works as a whole, rather than individual poems, but two managed to stand out to me, 'Far District' and 'Letter from Home'; I found them particularly striking. 

Hutchinson has a unique voice, which isn't entirely to my taste if I'm to be honest, but which is so interesting to read.

(Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted e-arc in exchange for a review)