Jetty and Other Poems

by Talvikki Ansel

Praise for Ansel's My Shining

Genres: Poetry

64 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

Reviews

[Chris - Quarter Press Editor]

So, I've decided that I'm no longer going to give a book less than four stars. And if my rating falls below that, it simply gets no rating--as I don't think it's fair to bring down an overall percentage when I don't think I'm the right audience. Instead, I'll provide my thoughts and, perhaps, help others that have similar aesthetics--or those that realize they're the opposites of of me--pick and choose from my "no-star" books to see if they'll enjoy them.

With JETTY, I felt like I didn't get it. This is the type of poetry that reminds me why I didn't read poetry for so many years. The writing is fragmented, with snapshot and pinpoint images and ideas that, to me, never fully congeal into a cohesive piece. The language is often lovely, here, along with some of the rhythms and the imagery itself, but more often than not, I'd finish one of Ansel's poems and think, "What the fuck did I just read?"

I don't think that is, necessarily, a bad thing. It's simply that I didn't get it. Ansel operates on a natural and organic level that simply doesn't resonate with me, and I acknowledge that. Her poems are earthy and full of world wonders, but I could never see what they added up to mean. The meaning eluded me, so in the end, these poems--while great to read for their language--didn't resonate and hum as I wanted them to.