Mezzanine: Poems – A Visceral Debut Questioning the Logic of Our Social and Political Systems

by Zoë Hitzig

In her striking collection of poems, Zoë Hitzig investigates how we seek certitude, power, and domination over the natural world and one another. Hitzig brings a scientific rigor to her searing lyricism, as well as a raucous energy and willingness to allow her work to dwell in states of uncertainty and precariousness. The result is an original voice that is incisive and unsparing, but also passionate and tender. Her poems probe the authority of language and logic, questioning the sovereignty of the technological, economic, legal, and political systems that mediate our lives. 

Urgent in its creation of a new way of looking at our social and natural worlds, Mezzanine is an insightful and visceral debut collection from a poet whose work is poised to leave a lasting mark.

Genres: Poetry

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2020

Reviews

[David Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I scanned the author bio prior to reading this collection of poetry and I was surprised to discover I was holding a book of verse composed by a PhD candidate in economics at Harvard. If you're wondering, like I was, what sort of poems would result from the creative impulses of (what I'm assuming is) a disciplined and scientifically-oriented mind, you'll likely be pleasantly surprised. If Hitzig is as gifted an economist as she is a poet, she's certain to enjoy a tremendous amount of success in two careers.

I particularly liked the poet's creativity in exploration of form, especially in the four-part "Fragments from the Imagined Epic: The Island of Stone Money." Surprisingly, the most impressive aspect of the book for me occurred in the Endnotes, where Hitzig shared inspirations and explanations for various poems in the collection. Her notes gave me an even greater appreciation for her intellectual curiosity and research skills, including an admiration for her interest in The Innocence Project.

The only thing preventing me from rating the book any higher is my frequent inability to understand what I'm reading. As a recreational user of poetry, I may not possess the necessary intellectual skills to absorb everything that is going on here.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A restlessness in the poetic diction I like for the fields the restlessness could contain, were it not flat with affect ("Division Day is in dialogue with Benedict Anderson's Imagined Communities and Stephen Hawking's final paper . . .") entitled by the access the disciplinarity privileges -- come to think of it, this is just how a less erotic diction warrants its flight from conceptual constraint (e.g., a poem that seeks to de-vision day).

[Joseph Petrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing group of poems that I find hard to describe. They are fresh, immediate, elusive and utterly captivating. (A poem about Have Blue -- I wasn't expecting that!). I have marked this book as "Read," but it is by no means finished. I will return to its puzzles and delights again soon, when I will vacillate between mining the text for meaning and surrendering to the sheer beauty of the words.

[J.D. DeHart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mezzanine is an ideal collection to enjoy as we focus on poetry in April (as well as anytime). Zoe Hitzig arranges words and images with punch and vitality. I’m always pleased to find new poetic voices, and I hope to read more from Hitzig soon. Recommended for poetry lovers.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scientific and rigorously precise. "Fragments from the Imagined Epic: The Island of Stone Money," where Hitzig experimented with a visual form, and the "Pernkopf Atlas" suite were among my favorite works in the collection.

[Zora · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s an interesting collection of poems, though sometimes confusing due to some obscure references to scientific and economic terms. I liked the poems about wrongful convictions and it was a nice read, though I had to be sure to keep a device nearby for semi frequent googling.

[Parinaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant... moving

[Carl Denton · Rating 4 out of 5]

not bad but I do wonder where all this Official Language will lead us... reminds me of raquel salas rivera or don mee choi

[Eva Forslund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommend. Will update review after I've reread it.

[Rach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure creative energy somehow trapped in words. Love the themes of decay, nature, and technology.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love poetry, but I also have auditory processing issues. I think I’d have resonated a lot more with this book if I had read a physical copy.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me.