Are Not Our Lowing Heifers Sleeker Than Night-Swollen Mushrooms?

by Nada Gordon

The latter-day romantic heroine of Gordon's book-length series, Are Not Our Lowing Heifers Sleeker Than Night-Swollen Mushrooms? (title courtesy of Keats), assumes various sub-personas, calling herself "I," "`I'" and "i," speaking variously in all capital letters, all lower-case, and orthographically correct mixes thereof. Our heroine cracks jokes about Victorian constructions of femininity ("Why is an unbound book like a young maiden in bed?"), explores her self-perception ("i don't know why/ i am always wanting you / someone to have my interiority"), tells bald-faced lies, has plenty of sex and continually distracts herself and whoever might try to cut her down to "If you are still confused/ by the form, invoke/ its creator, its secret/ prey. Jolly with/ composition, she/ has stretched/ her lower lip/ up over her head."

Genres: Poetry

126 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2001

Reviews

[Stephanie]

Good for those seeking intense aesthetic pleasure that breaks onto mysticism.

[Rodney]

Besides earning my lifetime vote for Best Title Ever, this early Gordon treasure confirms what I'd always hoped was true about poetry: "(all kerfuffle)."

[Hannah]

Gordon is a pure visionary- all that comes to mind is a resounding YES! YES! (Not for children under age 12)