Lauren Bacall Shares a Limousine

by Susan J. Erickson

Collection of poetry about women written by Brick Road Poetry Prize winning author Susan J. Erickson.

166 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 2016

Reviews

[Foster Moss]

I love this poetry collection. It made me curious, excited, and part of a trail of people who were flawed and brave.

[Jackie Craven]

How could I resist a poetry collection titled Lauren Bacall Shares a Limousine? Even the table of contents is a joy to read. Included are:

* "Pantoum for Mata Hari"
* "Lady Godiva Reminisces"
* "Before Her Round-the-World Flight Amelia Visits With a Psychic"
* "Fay Wray Tweets atop the Empire State Building"
* "Georgia O'Keefe Hitches a Ride to Abiquiu"
* "Emily Dickinson Introduces Her Blog"

The writer, Susan J. Erickson, is also a collage artist, and she assembled these poems with a keen eye for texture and unexpected juxtapositions. Tweets, blogs, recipes, and diary entries stand alongside tanka poems and sonnets narrated by a chorus of women's voices.

Edna St. Vincent Millay says, "Never speak in that sick voice / monotonous as a rocking chair." Frank Lloyd Wright's lover, Mamah Borthwick Cheney, explains, "I do not want my children / to see through the dirty windows / of my words." Elizabeth Barrett Tweets, "Didn't @WillShakespeare call brevity the soul // of wit?" In the title poem, Lauren Bacall describes a ride to the afterlife in a limousine she shares with Robin Williams: "We lean a bit. Our shoulders touch."

Moving from lighthearted to poignant, the speakers spill out startling details from their lives. I'm cheering all the way.