Ash (Barnard New Women Poets Series)

Rating:
Summary: an excellent first book
Review: i love the poems in this book because they remind me of some of my experiences living in the south. the language is poetic, but clear and the voice that speaks through these pieces is one of struggle and pride. the family poems were especially evocative.

Rating:
Summary: Life and living in a rural Southern town
Review: The poetry of Sharan Strange is a compelling series of revelations on life and living in a rural Southern town. Dorothy: Being a foster kid gave her second-class/status, but she was still our hero./An outcast like us, she was an ally against/school bullies and neighborhood brats./Though we were all poor, she was rejected/for more simple-minded, human reasons./With smoke-dark skin, hair no longer/than a snap, and legs covered with sores,/any hope she nursed of being found/desirable or cherished was revoked./She retaliated with a physical prowess/that awed us. Endless chores gave her/muscles to rival the older boys'/and she stunned them in short breathless tussles/that often drew blood. We envied her a body/whose strength matched its rage./At fourteen, she could beat a man./In our small world, she seemed invincible,/until we learned her one weakness:/a love for my brother that, unreturned,/provoked the only fight she willingly lost.

Rating:
Summary: Poetry for people who are afraid to read poetry
Review: These poems are accessible and moving, telling stories that drive us to discover their endings and meanings. The language is beautiful. These poems are free from the elite idea that poetry should consist only of images, refraining from story-telling.