Lots of poetry, some lit crit, and a burnt lasange.

30. Rush, by bill bissett
(BookThug, 2012)

Reviewed for Broken Pencil.

31. Heroines, by Kate Zambreno
(Semiotext(e), 2012)

When I saw it in Book City, I couldn’t resist picking it up. Zambreno looks at the “mad” literary wives of famous authors as they’re popularly portrayed, with the men suffering their “difficulties,” when these same – or worse – resistances and reluctances in men, are seen as signs of their fastidious genius.

She writes from a very personal, very bloggy perspective, and it doesn’t come as a surprise that much of this text was cribbed from her blog, Francis Farmer is My Sister, which I hadn’t read previously, but now finds a place in my RSS feeds.

It’s an interesting book, personal biography intertwined with literary biography and feminist assessment. I hope to see more in this style. Continue reading »

Brief notes on books read in February 2013.

13. Illuminations, by Arthur Rimbaud, translated by John Ashbury
(W. W. Norton & Company, 2012)

14. Illyria: Haunted, by Scott Tipton
(IDW, 2011)

15. Poems for an Oil-Free Coast
(Red Tower Bookworks, 2012)

Reviewed for Broken Pencil.

16. You Are Here, by James Pollock
(Porcupine’s Quill, 2012)

An excellent collection of reviews and essays about poetry, Canadian poetry in particular, with a focus on lyric and traditional forms. For a small sample, see this earlier post. Continue reading »

So many books to read. So little time. I’m not going to go into detail with every book, just highlight a few of them.

1. How to Be a Woman, by Caitlin Moran
(Harper, 2012)

I had difficulty with this one. Moran’s clearly well read, yet this reads like a stream of consciousness monologue, only less eloquent. She’s fond of ALL CAPS to emphasize points, and likes to get ranty rather than examine issues in depth – which is infuriating, because I know she has the chops. I also have problems with her prescriptive feminism. It felt like her way or the highway. And her way definitely isn’t mine.

That said, I do feel we need more voices speaking publicly about what it’s like to be a woman, and the sexist bullshit we’re forced to deal with on a daily basis. I’m glad I read it.

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 8: Last Gleaming, by Joss Whedon
(Dark Horse, 2011)

So glad this season is over. Not Whedon’s finest arc. Continue reading »