WEE reviews May 9, 2006

I Am a Girl by Jennifer L Knox

Julie: Well, that felt pointless, as if Knox wanted to shock me or prove she can say words like "dick" and "pussy" in a poem. Yes. You can. No, I wouldn't actually claim that was her intent, but there didn't seem to be anything else going on. For the record, real ladies say dick in poems, at the opera, and most especially to the umpire behind home plate.

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Hat of Many Goldfinches by Susan Meyer

Julie: Certain images are brilliant and beautiful when surrounded by other strong images, but turn dull when they are the focus of a poem. A hat made of goldfinches is a striking idea, but not enough to bear the weight of a poem, especially a poem of this length. Some nice lines, definitely, but the image needs surrounded by stronger ideas.

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Barometric by Janet Sylvester

Julie: This? I like. I like the breathless rush of its sentences, its matter-of-fact diction, the observations that didn't feel artificial or too elevated. Good stuff.