A Gaze Hound That Hunteth by the Eye: Poems

by V. Penelope Pelizzon

tk

Genres: Poetry

72 pages, Paperback

Published January 9, 2024

Reviews

[Leland Cacayan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually prefer my poetry more colloquial, but I thought that this was pretty good! Very rigorous read, but also fairly rewarding. /

The cool title itself should sell the collection, but the collection does hold a wonderful bouquet of poems with intense and rich language (I had to look up some of the words, lol). My favorite was definitely "Euphorbia" but I have the most respect for "Of Vinger of Pearl." It's a bit of a shaggy dog of a poem, but it works! What's the best way to navigate your mommy issues, if not through poetry?

3 stars.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pellizon won me over immediately with her dense, inventive use of language. I settled in for an enjoyable ride and was not disappointed. This book tells the story of a woman who didn’t have children but had a wildly varied life in some pretty far flung places. At times it’s like reading a National Geographic photographer’s memoir in poetry or listening to an eccentric aunt recounting her life–never knowing what’s going to bubble up from her memory as you talk to her. Pellizon celebrates her adaptability and richness of experience while also comparing her choices against the norm, recognizing that standing apart from that norm can be isolating.

While I was happy to be dazzled by her language and experiences and charmed by her trusty canine, Chompsky, I was reading this as part of the National Book Critics Circle Award long list and started to wonder “where’s the beef.” It comes as a long 11-part poem “Of Vinegar Of Pearl” that is about her relationship with her cantankerous, independent, gritty mother as that mother wrestles unhappily with old age.

Pellizon is not a passive left-margin poet. She uses the space on the page and line breaks as an active part of her art. The look on the page from poem to poem may stay the same or may be completely different. The visual changes, however, don't use the more radical liberty of modern techniques. Her choices create interest without creating disorientation.

Who is this book for and not for?
If you enjoy sonics and unusual word choices, you’ll enjoy Pellizon’s poetry. If you have to stop and look up every word you’re unfamiliar with, you could find her work frustrating. If you like seeing the wide world through the kaleidoscope of poetry and of someone who has inhabited diverse environments, this is for you. If you prefer confessional poetry, this book is not for you. If you like stanza variety that creates visual changes on the page, this book will hold your interest. If you have managed to remain devoted to a prickly parent, you’ll be able to relate to a section of this book. If you’re a person who has chosen a path through life that doesn’t include parenting, this is a window into how one person has framed her choice, especially as she starts to face her old age.

Samples of the poetry found in this volume:
https://ecotonemagazine.org/poetry/el...
https://tinhouse.com/orts-slarts/
https://plumepoetry.com/a-gaze-hound-...

[Matthew Buckley Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, thorny, sexy poems.

This is not the sort of collection I usually seek out, but once I'd started reading it, I found it irresistible. In a voice that strikes the ear as somehow both alien and familiar, these poems handle marriage, education, anatomy, and the boiling of a camel skull with compassion, grace, and a wicked sense of humor. Pelizzon may make you blush, but you will never want to look away.

[Jen Ashburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart, wide-ranging poems. Human relationships embedded in complex ecosystems—animal life (both feral and domestic), plant life, oceanic life. The poems are rich in imagery and musicality, and often use a heightened and clever vocabulary. I found the longer poems particularly compelling, especially “Of Vinegar Of Pearl,” which explores the relationship between the speaker and her mother.

[Hailey Leithauser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart, sonic poetry, reminiscent of Marianne Moore, thoroughly enjoyed beginning to end, plus introduced me to the word "librocubicularist," which was worth the price of the book in itself.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Resilient
reminder of forced transplants,
false indigo improves poor soil, as if
blooming is the best revenge."