A review by allisonreadsdc
Plot by Claudia Rankine

5.0

Holy shit Claudia Rankine can write. I love her wordplay so much. This is the story of a couple, Liv and Erland, though it’s primarily the story of Liv - who finds out she is pregnant and isn’t sure she wants to be. Rankine’s description of the baby growing in Liv’s belly are visceral and stunning. The ending as well. The middle sections require a lot of digestion. I spend a lot of time while reading poetry thinking about something I once heard Traci K Smith say, how she asks “what does this bring up for you?” Rather than “what does it mean?” I couldn’t tell you quite what Claudia Rankine “means,” especially in the sections where Liv is painting, but this brings up the complexities of womanhood, motherhood. I’ve always wanted to be a mother and in recent years coming to terms with what it might mean for me to become a mom without carrying the baby physically myself through pregnancy. I’ve never quite read pregnancy written the way the Rankine has, and it’s absolutely outstanding.