collection review

The Book Bag: Joy Is My Middle Name by Sasha Debevec-McKenney

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.

The weather took a turn for the better this week. It was great to feel the warm spring sunshine and be out in the garden and allotment. Thankfully, Storm Dave caused minimal harm to the allotment structures with only a cover being askew and one pane dislodged in the greenhouse. More vegetables have been planted, and the bulbs are in bloom. At home we planted some bat mix in a hope to attract some bats to the garden.

My regular barber fixed my hair which was great. In February, I went to a different barbershop and long story short my hair was shaved off using grade 2 clippers rather than my asked for trim.

I’m almost finished finalising the running order of the Unwhispered Legacy launch night. It’s a fantastic lineup of readers and you can get your audience tickets here.

Did you catch Eleanor Holmes second piece being added to her Poetic Voice feature? Read it here. Eleanor is launching #Moth on 19th April with a wonderful ensemble of readers. You can grab tickets here.

On top of that I’ve been reading…

Joy Is My Middle Name

  • Poet: Sasha Debevec-McKenney
  • Press: Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK) / W.W. Norton & Company (US)

Throughout the book, readers are treated to wit and humour grounded in real-world situations mixed with some excellent pop culture references. This includes the poems ‘Stand-Up Routine’ and the darker ‘I’m Starting To Like This Version Of Myself, Actually’ One of my favourite pieces ‘For The Record I Literally Wish I Talked Less But I Literally Cannot Help It’ had me chuckling away at the delivery.

Excerpt from Stand-Up Routine

Vivid language brings poems from page to the mind’s eye in a series of authentic pieces. ‘Dog-sitting Poem, Chicago, January 2023’ gives a multi-sensory glimpse of city life and after reading it, I immediately picked up Brody’s lead and took him for a walk. ‘Poem After Moving Away’ is a melancholic piece outlining the effect a place can have.

As this is book is brimming with realism, the themes mirror this. Politics and history are a recurring trend throughout out the book. ‘Kaepernick’ and the powerful,  sequenced ‘On Days I Believe In The Death Penalty’ and ‘On Days I Don’t Believe In The Death Penalty’  are some of the pieces that showcase this. In ‘Poem For The Racist Tour Guide At The Franklin Pierce Manse’, American history and the truth collide in a sharp incisive poem on the 14th President.

Candid poems on relationships appear throughout the book. ‘Watching National Treasure For The First Time’ is a no-nonsense piece about an ex that is compelling. I have friends who’ve done similar things. One of my favourites, ‘Jordan Says He Loves Me So Much He’ll Delete His Instagram For Me’ is a sharp, surreal piece.

Form and style enthusiasts are well catered for throughout the collection. ‘Sestina Where Every End Word is Lyndon Johnson’ is remarkable and clever piece, and  ‘I Always Make It Nice (Real Housewives of New York Taglines) Pantoum’ is superbly inventive. The piece ‘No Fap Found Poem’ is startling and unsettling. There are multiple other styles too, including prose, micro poetry, free verse – something for everyone.

Excerpt from Sestina Where Every End Word is Lyndon Johnson

This is a collection with a wide appeal. It will strike a chord with readers who want candour and humour in their poetry and frequent displays of resilience. Poetics who value realism in their poetry will love this book. If you like experiments in form you will appreciate this book. It is fantastic.

Favourite Poem:

I’ve already mentioned ‘Jordan Says He Loves Me So Much He’ll Delete His Instagram For Me’ and ‘For The Record I Literally Wish I Talked Less But I Literally Cannot Help and I could name another dozen as I sit here writing but I’ll stick to a handful. ‘Alonederland’, ‘If You Just Wanna Say Fuck It’, ‘It’s So Idyllic Here’, ‘Sample Of Myself’ and ‘Joy Is My Middle Name’.

To read more about Sasha click here.

To buy Joy Is My Middle Name, click here.

Looking for this week’s playlist? Look no further! This week is a quirky blend:

Nina Simone – Feeling Good
The Righteous Brothers – You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling
Ludacris – Act A Fool
John Coltrane – Giant Steps
Guns N’ Roses – Civil War
Stevie Nicks – Edge of Seventeen
Johnny Cash – Hurt
Jay-Z – Dead Presidents
Mel B – Word Up
Édith Piaf – Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
P!nk – So What
Salt-n-Pepa – Push It
U2 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

Before I Go…

My poem ‘This Space Is for You’ was accepted by Full House Literary and is now on their website under the Featured Creators section and I am so happy about it.. You can listen or read here. I’m among some incredible company.


One More Thing…

The Broken Spine has an open submission window for one of their slimline anthologies. The theme is on Poetry At The Edge of Knowing and more details can be found here.


And Another…

Rachel Turney is launching her latest book Retired Wannabe Club Kid (published by Parlyaree Press) on Zoom on Friday 17th April at 6pm MST / 8pm EST. Details here.


And Finally…

You can still download a copy of Unwhispered Legacy and if you wish to, you can donate to Médecins Sans Frontières. Click here for full details.

Next Week’s Read

  • Title: Neon Manila
  • Poet: Troy Cabida

Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week.

Paul

The Book Bag: With Love, Grief and Fury by Salena Godden

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.

I’ve had quite the week.

On Sunday, I popped into Barter Books in Alnwick to drop in some books, (I ended up buying more than I left) then we went for a walk along Alnmouth Beach where I tripped over some jetty railings and landed knee and face first. My shin currently has a bruise the shape of Italy. The walk was worth it though because I got this photo of the North Sea with Coquet Island lit up by a soft November sun in the distance.

Oh, I also got a wonderful message from Leia at Full House Literary informing me that ‘Updraft’ had been nominated for the Pushcart. Thank you to everyone who congratulated me also, it means a lot.

Thursday’s Write Here, Right Now was terrific. I gave five obscure prompts to work on, we worked in WiP then had the feedback session. I love the perspectives and insight that members provide that make you look at a piece in a completely different way. It was also fantastic to welcome two new members.

On Friday, the Christmas List window closed. I’ll be sharing the list next week and this will be in place of the regular book bag. The list has terrific variety and something for everyone.

On top of that, I’ve been reading;


With Love, Grief and Fury
• Poet: Salena Godden
• Press: Canongate

Salena Godden is a force of nature. An incredible poet, novelist, activist and many other things. Last weekend, I picked up a copy of With Love, Grief and Fury after listening to Mrs Death Misses Death on audiobook and loving it. Let’s jump in…

As the title suggests readers are submerged in a pool of evolving emotions throughout the book. The link between the main themes of love, fury & grief is evident and used to excellent effect with authenticity. A standout piece that delivers a maelstrom of emotional turmoil is ‘Five Words’. I had to stop reading for the night after reading this.

Salena Godden’s storytelling is a major superpower. Her prose pieces including ‘Camden’, ‘October Tape Experiment’ and ‘You Made A Fuss’ are transportative and immersive. The poem ‘Sun Cream In February’ is a cutting observation starting with baked beans and ending with elephants and existentialism.

Vivid imagery is on display throughout the collection. The pieces that form the ‘With Love, Grief and Fury’ sequence and ‘Autumn’s Secretary’ demonstrate this as does ‘And The Moon Don’t Talk To Me’ Anymore. One of my favourites is ‘Dog Days Done’, it has an authentic hope.

Societal expectations and social issues are questioned and answered throughout the book. The poems ‘Book Mother’ and ‘Egg and Spoon Race’ tackle expectations on women. The piece ‘Wish You Were Here’ is a stark piece that takes in the pandemic and the decline in social etiquette / behaviour that came with it. ‘Dirty Old Men’ is a gritty and grimy indictment on objectification and justice.

Form and style is varied throughout. I’ve already mentioned prose pieces. Readers are also treated to breathless streams of consciousness poems, list poems and pieces that use the page differently such as ‘One Hundred and Nine’ or the screenplay ‘2084’.

The use of language and vocabulary is expert, I’ve jotted down a couple of new words to use in future poems. I may write a couple of ‘After’ poems in response to some of the pieces in this book.

There are so many topics and themes I could go into but that would take me a year. What I will say is, this is top class writing. In the top 5 books I’ve read this year.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy relatable, honest poetry that approaches real issues with excellent effect. It is a collection rich with emotion and immersive storytelling. There are tender moments, fierce moments, defiant moments. A title that whispers and shouts. Once read, you will want to keep returning, time and again.

Favourite Poem:

I’ve already mentioned ‘Dog Days Done’. I could choose many more but based on today’s feeling, I’ll go with another seven. ‘Camden’, ‘The Girl In The Green Cardigan’ ,‘Bit On The Side’, ‘Evergreen Tea’, ‘Burned’, ‘1999’ and the ‘With Love, Grief and Fury’ sequence. But really I can’t stop there so another few that just popped into my head are; ‘City of Water’, ‘Cake’, ‘Sakura’, ‘A Small Kindness’, ‘Kimono’ and ‘2084’.

To read more about Salena, click here.

To buy With Love, Grief and Fury, click here.

Are you looking for this week’s playlist? Well this is a bumper eclectic mix to enjoy whilst reading:

The Jam – That’s Entertainment
Buzzcocks – Ever Fallen In Love
The Ramones – Sheena is a Punk
Madness – It Must Be Love
Annie Lennox – Why
John Coltrane – My Favourite Things
Bruno Mars – Marry You
Joni Mitchell – Got Til It’s Gone
Marianne Faithfull – Why D’Ya Do It
Florence and the Machine – Dog Days Are Over
Elton John – Your Song
The Commitments – Mustang Sally
Prince & The Revolution – Purple Rain
Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman
Fatboy Slim – Praise You
Sade – Kiss of Life
David Bowie – Rebel, Rebel
Bryan Ferry – Love Is The Drug
Beyonce & Andre 3000 – Back to Black
Little Roy – Come As You Are

Before I Go…
If you want to be part of the next Book Bag open mic, I’m pleased to announce that tickets for The Book Bag: Open Mic Sessions – Session 2 are now on sale and can be bought here.

One More Thing…
If you missed it, the bonus poem from Rebecca Goss has been added to her Poetic Voices feature. I’m priveliged to showcase exquisite work on The Book Bag. Read here.

And Another…
On Saturday 29th November, I’ll be reading alongside some outstanding poets who are launching their books at Louise Longson’s Last Saturday Poets. Tickets are available here.

And Finally…
Have you got poems ready for the Unwhispered Anthology 48-hour submission window which opens next weekend? Guidelines and details here.

Next Week:

  • The Book Bag Christmas List

Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week.

Paul