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Repeat the Flesh in Numbers
by
Kris Bigalk (Goodreads Author)
Daring, contemplative, witty, and moving, the poems in Kris Bigalk’s debut collection Repeat the Flesh in Numbers unflinchingly examine human frailty from multiple perspectives, and ultimately arrive at a place of generosity, regeneration, and grace. The musical precision and vivid images invite us in to poetry that surprises, inspires, and haunts, reminding us that what w...more
Paperback, 108 pages
Published
February 29th 2012
by NYQ Books
(first published 2012)
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I won this through a Goodreads giveaway.
Whereas novels can be looked at with a mix of objectivity and subjectivity, poetry, for me, is mostly (if not completely) a subjective experience.
Certain people enjoy certain poems and certain people don't. I doubt I will ever read a poetry collection in which I understand/like/relate-to every poem; no matter how many times I read and re-read. I think only the author of a poetry collection can claim that they do. That being said, I did enjoy the majority...more
Whereas novels can be looked at with a mix of objectivity and subjectivity, poetry, for me, is mostly (if not completely) a subjective experience.
Certain people enjoy certain poems and certain people don't. I doubt I will ever read a poetry collection in which I understand/like/relate-to every poem; no matter how many times I read and re-read. I think only the author of a poetry collection can claim that they do. That being said, I did enjoy the majority...more
The gorgeous cover of REPEAT THE FLESH IN NUMBERS sends an accurate signal about the centrality of the body in these pages. Bigalk's poems are frank and unsentimental, with vivid imagery to convey felt experience, as in "Insomnia":
Tiny bones, those splinters
that form wrist, thread together foot,
little pins that hold flesh
like fabric and batting, a quilted body.
These calcium shards betray and sting,
they ache with age, say my name
while I sleep, until I wake, say
hush, hush.
Elsewhere, her voice is...more
Tiny bones, those splinters
that form wrist, thread together foot,
little pins that hold flesh
like fabric and batting, a quilted body.
These calcium shards betray and sting,
they ache with age, say my name
while I sleep, until I wake, say
hush, hush.
Elsewhere, her voice is...more
Kris writes with intellect as well as refreshing raw power. Her poems are first personal, as though she has some demons she must expunge, but they also reached me in unexpected ways. For example, her poem entitled The Convent Letters, a series of imagined correspondence, describe a world quite rich though spare in description, and familiar to any reader of Dickens, "They call one nun Mother, but/her eyes are cold with Jesus/when she looks at me." Kris uses her breaks, and the white space that fo...more
Bigalk's debut book of poetry listens deeply to the stillness of domestic life and finds beauty, humor, and sadness in turn. This book is brilliantly able to change its mood: first a funny revenge poem about planting hot peppers to rid a garden-raiding squirrel of his temptation, then a serious poem about a friend's drowning of another pest squirrel. The poems in this book listen to the heartbeats of children as well as the laughter of the trees in the backyard; they balance the persona's intern...more
This is a collection of poetry that is skillfully written with clarity and depth. I usually read poetry books one poem per night, but I devoured these poems in two straight nights. Bigalk's poems resonate with a feminist point that deftly negotiates culture and class with a view that is insightful and instructive to both female and male genders. I feel I'm a better man for having read these poems. Repeat the Flesh in Numbers is prerequisite reading for persons striving to become more empathetic...more
This collection of poems was written by a former Professor and a woman that I still hold in high regard. I have never been a big poetry reader myself but after taking a class with her I find I can appreciate poetry at last and it is this knowledge that as helped me see the beauty in her poems.
We are born shivering
wishing back the damp warm dream
the pounding of a heart
deep rumbling ruminations ~Incarnation
I loved the above poem the most. I like the way it flows.
We are born shivering
wishing back the damp warm dream
the pounding of a heart
deep rumbling ruminations ~Incarnation
I loved the above poem the most. I like the way it flows.
Clear - The lady, her words and mind are impressive.
Jan 01, 2012
Lauren
marked it as to-read
This was written by someone in my Poetry group.
I won this on First Reads!
Kris's poetry is amazing. The topic and style of each poem varied, but I think she pulled each of them off beautifully.
Kris's poetry is amazing. The topic and style of each poem varied, but I think she pulled each of them off beautifully.
May 23, 2013
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¡ POETRY !: My book now available in e-formats (Kindle, Nook, Vook) | 4 | 198 | Aug 04, 2012 01:45pm | |
| ¡ POETRY !: My Poetry Book Giveaway! | 9 | 21 | Jan 03, 2012 02:11pm | |
| Authors Society: Enter My Goodreads Giveaway! | 1 | 5 | Jan 01, 2012 08:47am |
Kris Bigalk is the author of Repeat the Flesh in Numbers, a poetry collection; a free reader's/teacher's guide is available at http://krisbigalk.com. Her poetry has appeared in The WaterStone Review, the cream city review, The New York Quarterly, Silk Road, and other journals. She lives near Minneapolis, where she serves as Director of Creative Writing at Normandale Community College.
More about Kris Bigalk...
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