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by Martha Greenwald

Winner of the 2010 Mississippi Review Poetry Series.

Genres: Poetry

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this in a poetry class in 2010 and revisited ten years later. My main impression is that it lacks cohesion as a collection, with a few different themes but nothing holding it all together.

I find it remarkable I read this first when I had never been on a plane, and again when travel of any kind is unsafe because of a global pandemic.

Favorites: 'Severe Thunderstorm Warning,' 'The Last Secretary,' and 'Cardigan'

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through the contemporary world's everyday oddities--TSA guidelines, flowers named for TV stars, cell phones blurting classical music, scrolling weather alerts--Greenwald weaves the intimacies of birth, death, longing, and grief. This mixture is startling in its sincerity, and these poems are sonically rich to boot: lovely to read aloud.

[AJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Greenwald's poetry lies somewhere between emerging and novice. Not fully either. Given that this is her first collection we can understand that her poetic voice has yet to mature, but the fact remains. The verse is sometimes witty sometimes dull and once or twice poignant. A great start from a poet worth watching.