Scan barcode
jesshooves's review against another edition
5.0
"We agree / to rescue each other and strangers / who also glance sideways at street / grids from above during takeoff, / chew gum while we rise past what- / ever their threshold for fear or adventure."
cstefko's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Well, this collection did not end up being what I expected after reading the introductory poem. I thought it would be a lot more conceptual, but instead, it often gets bogged down in too much realism. These are maximalist poems, heavy with detail, and the connections Meitner tries to make did not always feel effective to me. But there are also plenty of brilliant lines to latch onto, and the subject matter is very timely. "Dollar General" and "Our Holiday Letter" were some of my favorites. I will definitely check out future work from Meitner.
Well, this collection did not end up being what I expected after reading the introductory poem. I thought it would be a lot more conceptual, but instead, it often gets bogged down in too much realism. These are maximalist poems, heavy with detail, and the connections Meitner tries to make did not always feel effective to me. But there are also plenty of brilliant lines to latch onto, and the subject matter is very timely. "Dollar General" and "Our Holiday Letter" were some of my favorites. I will definitely check out future work from Meitner.
sam8834's review against another edition
5.0
Inserting pop culture or name-brand America into poetry can sometimes be really hard to do authentically and meaningfully, but Erika Meitner is sooooooo so good at it, braiding strip malls and consumerism and motherhood and politics and gun violence together so perfectly.
sonofcrunch's review against another edition
5.0
What a collection. “Too Strong,” and “Threat Assessment,” will stay with me always.
ladysmijubug2's review against another edition
3.0
Some of these I very much enjoyed. Others I could not follow all the way through.
francescamoroney's review against another edition
4.0
Don’t be afraid of this book of prose poetry! Very important reading for anyone thinking about/worried about/stymied by our current gun culture.
zarazuck's review against another edition
4.0
Many of these poems felt like a punch in the gut. Meitner jumps between motherhood, the Holocaust, infertility, school shootings, immigration, poverty, race... I don’t remember what made me look for this collection, but I’m excited to read more by her.
lianaespey's review
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence
More...