Afterglow

by Michelle Marie Jacquot

Afterglow is a collection of poetry from a strange time. Starting in 2020 and ending somewhere between then and now, it's about figuring out what living really means. It's laughing through the world's collapse, searching for meaning in almost everything, fighting and embracing solitude, and realizing that everything could change at any moment. It's learning to look for an afterglow in all things. To throw your hands up, surrender, and feel the sun coming.

Genres: Poetry

148 pages, Paperback

Published September 17, 2022

About the author

Michelle Marie Jacquot is an author, comedian, singer, songwriter, and actress from Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[Kristiana]

Afterglow, Michelle Marie Jacquot's third poetry collection, came to fruition throughout 2020. It began as musings and reflections in a time of death, quarantine and loneliness, but soon became a project which helped Jacquot realise that the 'life' we are often waiting to start, has already begun. Hence the name Afterglow. While Jacquot does not deny the reality of 2020 nor invalidate how many of us felt in this time, she hopes this collection is relatable but also a reminder to appreciate the afterglow, as the sun continues to rise and set without change or obstacle.

Jacquot's poetry strikes a fine balance between short-form/quip-like poems and long-form dramatic monologues. While DETERIORATE, Jacquot's second collection, is stronger in regards to its consistency and structure, there are many pieces in Afterglow readers will find their own experiences within as well as find them humorous as Jacquot brings a lightness to the heaviness of living through a pandemic. 'Split Ends' is a piece which encapsulates the sudden solitude so many were thrown into by quarantine and periods of lock-down; how swiftly our lives were put into our own hands completely. Jacquot reveals both the fear and courage in these moments. Her work also explores feelings of significance in poems like 'I Can't Stop Reading My Horoscope' and 'Maybe Heaven Got Boring', reflecting upon our place in the world, particularly when life as we know it is in disarray.

"Have you ever prayed out loud to no one just to hear the sound?" [Religion]

The above captures Afterglow perfectly, it is a collection fuelled by seeing the comedy and tragedy in what we have all undergone in recent years, but it is always honest. Jacquot reminds any reader of how much has been shared recently, how the loneliness we faced means we are not alone. A commendable feat and once again, Jacquot's work was a joy to read.

[Avrial || Bookish.and.blissful]

You’d enjoy this if you like:
1. Irreverent prose
2. Emotional reflections on sadness and disillusionment
3. A mixture of shorter and longer styles

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this lovely collection. For me personally, it was okay. I didn’t so much enjoy the slapstick nature of any of the poems, and, at time, it really did feel like a comic trying to parse their sets into prose.

I did very much enjoy “WRITING ON THE WALL” and found it poignant and contemplative.

[azira]

michelle was kind enough to send me a copy (and the sweetest note 🥹) for review, so a big thank you to her.

now this book is such a wonderful little time capsule. the poetry Jacquot included in this collection captures the loneliness, the existentialism, the bitterness, and the hope that i think most of us experienced during lockdowns and quarantines in 2020. however, i found a lot of the poems really resonating with me even now in what feels like the other side of the pandemic (kind of? hopefully? 🤞). i loved the humor, i loved the sense of dread, and i loved the writing. some of my favorites were “lifetimes” “youth” and “lemons” among many others. definitely pick this up if you love poetry or if you’re looking to get into poetry- i feel like this would be a great place to start since it’s quite relatable and chronicles a period of time where we were all living quite similar lives.
i will absolutely be buying whatever Michelle publishes in the future and now i need to go find/read her other two collections of poetry.

[Alyssa]

The introduction is a fantastic preview into the dips and twists and half turns you're about to experience. Almost dark, like a bitter chocolate, but just smooth enough to be palatable.

I picked this up and read August (page 73) and knew I had to buy this. The rest is a quasi happy surprise.

Looking forward to reading this again next year to see what new things resonate.