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A Roomful of Machines
“All the mythical elements / blend at some point.” Like a woodsman in a glade surrounded by the beloved obstacles of her livelihood, Kristine Ong Muslim marks the materials of her enterprise and fells them one by one: a teacup, a tissue box, the soul, a man on a bench–milled, constructed and brought to life by the poet’s gaze. Her poems lead us out of the forest, into light.
—JoAnn Balingit, Poet Laureate of Delaware and author of Words for House Story
Kristine Ong Muslim has dissected life’s parts and crafted updates carrying a calm punch. Her precise and mournful vision shows us that the NOW refuses to be lulled by “last year’s domesticity” and that every object exemplifies a contradictory present. When a carpet in “Songs of Dead Objects Content in Their Husks” claims “the texture of silence” it can only do so by asserting its presence. While the eye in “Director’s Cut, Exterior Panel: The Eye” can’t quite focus it is “yet functional.” Willfulness subverts the tragic. Protects the soul. That same eye “. . . ignores signs, misreads instructions, fakes loneliness.” Repeat: “fakes loneliness.” Muslim moves beyond the trope of modern isolation. A Roomful of Machines provides companionship for the wise.
—Sarah Sarai, author of The Future Is Happy
—JoAnn Balingit, Poet Laureate of Delaware and author of Words for House Story
Kristine Ong Muslim has dissected life’s parts and crafted updates carrying a calm punch. Her precise and mournful vision shows us that the NOW refuses to be lulled by “last year’s domesticity” and that every object exemplifies a contradictory present. When a carpet in “Songs of Dead Objects Content in Their Husks” claims “the texture of silence” it can only do so by asserting its presence. While the eye in “Director’s Cut, Exterior Panel: The Eye” can’t quite focus it is “yet functional.” Willfulness subverts the tragic. Protects the soul. That same eye “. . . ignores signs, misreads instructions, fakes loneliness.” Repeat: “fakes loneliness.” Muslim moves beyond the trope of modern isolation. A Roomful of Machines provides companionship for the wise.
—Sarah Sarai, author of The Future Is Happy
- GenresPoetry
124 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
33 people want to read
About the author
Kristine Ong Muslim
111 books185 followersKristine Ong Muslim is the author of The Drone Outside (Eibonvale Press, 2017), Black Arcadia (University of the Philippines Press, 2017), Meditations of a Beast (Cornerstone Press, 2016), Butterfly Dream (Snuggly Books, 2016), Age of Blight (Unnamed Press, 2016), and several other books of fiction and poetry. She co-edited numerous anthologies of fiction, including Destination: SEA 2050 A.D. (Penguin Random House SEA, 2022), Ulirát: Best Contemporary Stories in Translation from the Philippines (Gaudy Boy, 2021), and the British Fantasy Award-winning People of Colo(u)r Destroy Science Fiction! (2016). Her translation of Amado Anthony G. Mendoza III’s novel, Book of the Damned, won a 2023 PEN/Heim grant. She is also the translator of nine books by Filipino authors Mesándel Virtusio Arguelles, Rogelio Braga, and Marlon Hacla. Widely anthologized, Muslim’s short stories were published in Conjunctions, Dazed, and World Literature Today and translated into Bulgarian, Czech, German, Japanese, Polish, and Serbian. She lives in a small farmhouse in Sitio Magutay, a remote rural highland area in Maguindanao, Philippines.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 19, 2015
I received this collection of poetry from the author in exchange for an honest review. I thought I would not have time to get to it for a couple of more months since I have several of books to review right now, but I decided to check it out and I found that I got caught up in the poetry that I was reading.
There was some darker poetry that I thought was good and also I found some contemporary and humorous poetry as well. There were a few of what I called the 'death poems' that were both dark and humorous, I enjoyed those a lot, they were probably among my favorites which were Soup, Tea Cup, Center of Gravity, Soul, Wheelchair, and many more. I also discovered many different styles of writing in this collection and I also enjoyed that as well.
The only problem that really bothered me was that sometimes I found it hard to find where the next poem would start. It is on my kindle so maybe that is why it did not have separation between poems, it would be more annoying if it were the same way for a printed copy. Overall I found this collection to be really enjoyable and would gladly read more from this author.
There was some darker poetry that I thought was good and also I found some contemporary and humorous poetry as well. There were a few of what I called the 'death poems' that were both dark and humorous, I enjoyed those a lot, they were probably among my favorites which were Soup, Tea Cup, Center of Gravity, Soul, Wheelchair, and many more. I also discovered many different styles of writing in this collection and I also enjoyed that as well.
The only problem that really bothered me was that sometimes I found it hard to find where the next poem would start. It is on my kindle so maybe that is why it did not have separation between poems, it would be more annoying if it were the same way for a printed copy. Overall I found this collection to be really enjoyable and would gladly read more from this author.
July 26, 2015
I received a free review copy of this book from the author.
4.5 stars
A Roomful of Machines is a poetry collection consisting of dark, detailed writing and tales of inanimate objects. In my relatively small experience with poetry, I haven't read anything like this book, and I am left feeling so grateful that I was contacted to review it, as I think I've found a new favorite poet.
So many of these lines stuck out at me. I found myself reading the same poem two or three times a piece, just to get the full impact of the words. (And also for better comprehension, as poems can be tricky for me to read and understand the first time through.) And then I would reread some of them a couple more times after that, simply because poems are short and I loved the writing style.
Most of these centered around inanimate objects, which I think was a really unique take and a great opportunity for something different. Each poem felt so emotional and gripping, in a way that I don't feel I could do justice in this review. (I'm really not used to reviewing poetry. This collection is also just really great.) The imagery was awesome, the way these everyday objects -- a chair, a house, shoes -- came to life and symbolized such powerful emotion and feeling just amazed me.
I can be quite picky when it comes to finding poetry I like, because so much of it is either too simplistic, or so complex that it goes over my head. This collection seemed to strike the perfect balance for me, personally, as I kind of knew it would when I read the two-poem sample on Kristine's website. (I definitely recommend that anybody who is uncertain click that link and scroll to the bottom -- the poems shown, Left Shoe and Right Shoe give a great idea of what to expect throughout the collection.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys poetry and vivid, unique writing. I will definitely be checking out more of the author's work in the future, and look forward to exploring her other work!
4.5 stars
A Roomful of Machines is a poetry collection consisting of dark, detailed writing and tales of inanimate objects. In my relatively small experience with poetry, I haven't read anything like this book, and I am left feeling so grateful that I was contacted to review it, as I think I've found a new favorite poet.
So many of these lines stuck out at me. I found myself reading the same poem two or three times a piece, just to get the full impact of the words. (And also for better comprehension, as poems can be tricky for me to read and understand the first time through.) And then I would reread some of them a couple more times after that, simply because poems are short and I loved the writing style.
Most of these centered around inanimate objects, which I think was a really unique take and a great opportunity for something different. Each poem felt so emotional and gripping, in a way that I don't feel I could do justice in this review. (I'm really not used to reviewing poetry. This collection is also just really great.) The imagery was awesome, the way these everyday objects -- a chair, a house, shoes -- came to life and symbolized such powerful emotion and feeling just amazed me.
I can be quite picky when it comes to finding poetry I like, because so much of it is either too simplistic, or so complex that it goes over my head. This collection seemed to strike the perfect balance for me, personally, as I kind of knew it would when I read the two-poem sample on Kristine's website. (I definitely recommend that anybody who is uncertain click that link and scroll to the bottom -- the poems shown, Left Shoe and Right Shoe give a great idea of what to expect throughout the collection.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys poetry and vivid, unique writing. I will definitely be checking out more of the author's work in the future, and look forward to exploring her other work!
July 25, 2016
What I loved so much about the poems here is that they are about everyday, inanimate objects (well, not all of them), but are seen in strange, new ways.
You get to see their lives, and eventually, their deaths.
I loved Muslim's control and brevity of the language, something I constantly struggle with.
A GOOD BOOK WITH GOOD POEMS, that's it, that's the review.
You get to see their lives, and eventually, their deaths.
I loved Muslim's control and brevity of the language, something I constantly struggle with.
A GOOD BOOK WITH GOOD POEMS, that's it, that's the review.
July 31, 2015
A very good poetry collection that brings ordinary objects to life. If you like poetry, you should read this.
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August 3, 2016My thoughts on this book is found in the blog in lieu of a field guide.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews