Hi Reader Friends!
Look at me posting two days in a row?! What is happening? I’ll tell you what: I managed to make it to the gym after work today AND didn’t bring work home…and finally have some motivation coursing through me. So nice.
In the spotlight today: the new Amanda Lovelace poetry collection flower crowns & fearsome things.
This was my first Lovelace poetry collection and I really, really, liked it. This is a standalone collection that plays with the Persephone/Hades myth a bit, as well as just the idea that women can be both fierce and gentle. If you know me at all, you know that I love me some plays on mythology. And mythology in general. The Persephone/Hades myth is also one that I share with my students every year and after listening to this collection, I feel like I want to alter the way I tell it a bit this year. As I was listening, I found myself nodding in agreement to so much of what was shared. As a woman, I felt very much seen by these words.
Personally, I think I will get more enjoyment out of a physical copy of this over the audio. Lovelace narrates and does a great job, but for me, sometimes I need to read work like this in order to connect more with it. This was one of those times. As I said above, obviously I felt a connection with it, but I definitely wanted to see the words. I don’t often annotate books, but I can’t wait to do it with this one. Lovelace also contributes a kind of “behind the scenes” narration into her writing process and while it was so incredibly interesting (I live for that stuff) it took away from the poems a bit for me. I would love to read the physical version and then re-listen to her talk about her process!
Overall, I definitely recommend, especially if you like poetry. I will order a physical version of this for sure, and check out her other collections!
The Bookish Bird 