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Material
Ros Barber’s second book forms a meditation on human loss; it is a more personal and autobiographical collection than her first, described by Neil Rollinson as an honest, unflinching and hugely satisfying debut’. Sarah Law described her as a "traditional" contemporary poet along the lines of Larkin’ and it is Barber’s sure hand with rhyme and meter that gives the hard material of these poems (both personal losses and those experienced through others) their steady focus and makes them so readable. Throughout, the poetry remains strong, thoughtful and refreshing. Ros Barber was born in 1964 in Washington DC. She grew up in Colchester, studied Biology at the University of Sussex, and then English Literature and Philosophy with the Open University, while working as a computer programmer. Since 2000 she has worked as a freelance writer and creative writing tutor for the University of Sussex. She is married with four children and lives in Brighton.
- GenresPoetry
96 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
About the author
Ros Barber
18 books97 followersNovelist, both historical and speculative fiction. Debut novel The Marlowe Papers (2012) was winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize 2013, joint winner of the Author's Club Best First Novel Award 2013, long-listed for the 2013 Women's Fiction Prize (formerly the Orange Prize).
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Second novel, Devotion (2015) was short-listed for the Encore Award 2015.
📕📕📕Third novel: an epic adventure, currently (spring 2024) being edited.
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Non-fiction: literary history/biography, specialising in Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. Editor and co-author of 30-Second Shakespeare (UK) / Know-it-All Shakespeare (US). Author of Shakespeare: The Evidence and the Coursera MOOC Introduction to Who Wrote Shakespeare.
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Poetry. A collection of poems, Material (2008) was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation. The title poem features in Faber's Poems of the Decade and is taught in schools in the UK.
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😀😀😀
Second novel, Devotion (2015) was short-listed for the Encore Award 2015.
📕📕📕Third novel: an epic adventure, currently (spring 2024) being edited.
☠️☠️☠️
Non-fiction: literary history/biography, specialising in Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. Editor and co-author of 30-Second Shakespeare (UK) / Know-it-All Shakespeare (US). Author of Shakespeare: The Evidence and the Coursera MOOC Introduction to Who Wrote Shakespeare.
📚📚📚
Poetry. A collection of poems, Material (2008) was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation. The title poem features in Faber's Poems of the Decade and is taught in schools in the UK.
🎓🎓🎓
Subscribe to my Substack newsletter for updates, offers and insider info.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 9, 2020
Ros Barber's collection is truly magical and her understanding of so many deep emotions is evident.
My feelings of isolation have been somewhat alleviated by this collection; someone understands, someone has been there before me.
She uses everyday situations to reveal layers of feelings beneath them.
I cannot commend Ros Barber enough.
My favourite poem is Losing It, which conveys everything that is wonderful about this collection:
She's not like the people who lose their dogs
by driving to Wales and opening the door.
She's like the people who lose their phones
in swimming pools, against hard floors,
or into the pockets of handbag thieves,
while the owner was ordering something to eat.
She's not like the people who lose their wives
with a rope, and a hammer, and a carving knife.
She's like the people who lose their way home
with a belly full of vodka on a dark night
two weeks after moving to Poet's Name Road
off something or other. Around here, though.
She's not like the people who lose their lovers
by forgetting dates, and screening calls.
She's like the people who lose a limb,
are haunted by dreams of what it's for
and feel its ache as though it's here,
thick with the usefulness of air.
She's not like the people who lose their shirt
on a worthless nag in the three-fifteen.
She's like the people who lose hope
through a hole in the lining of a favourite coat
though they'd put their name on the think okay,
and were sure they had it yesterday.
She's not like the people who go on a diet.
She's like the people who starve on the quiet.
My feelings of isolation have been somewhat alleviated by this collection; someone understands, someone has been there before me.
She uses everyday situations to reveal layers of feelings beneath them.
I cannot commend Ros Barber enough.
My favourite poem is Losing It, which conveys everything that is wonderful about this collection:
She's not like the people who lose their dogs
by driving to Wales and opening the door.
She's like the people who lose their phones
in swimming pools, against hard floors,
or into the pockets of handbag thieves,
while the owner was ordering something to eat.
She's not like the people who lose their wives
with a rope, and a hammer, and a carving knife.
She's like the people who lose their way home
with a belly full of vodka on a dark night
two weeks after moving to Poet's Name Road
off something or other. Around here, though.
She's not like the people who lose their lovers
by forgetting dates, and screening calls.
She's like the people who lose a limb,
are haunted by dreams of what it's for
and feel its ache as though it's here,
thick with the usefulness of air.
She's not like the people who lose their shirt
on a worthless nag in the three-fifteen.
She's like the people who lose hope
through a hole in the lining of a favourite coat
though they'd put their name on the think okay,
and were sure they had it yesterday.
She's not like the people who go on a diet.
She's like the people who starve on the quiet.
September 29, 2016
A hugely enjoyable book of poems that are so readable. At one point I felt it was a disservice to Ros Barber for reading them so quickly, but I couldn't help it. I don't think I've ever read a book of poems from cover to cover as if it were a novel. Thank you Ros for sharing these poems with us.
May 12, 2017
All poetry collections reflect an evolutionary point in the poet's life and in their poems.
Following these is almost like reading their autobiography stage by stage.
Following these is almost like reading their autobiography stage by stage.
July 22, 2017
Some beautiful poems that really spoke to me, but unfortunately I got lost in amongst many of them.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews