Reviews with TLC

Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners by Naomi Shihab Nye weaves the experience of being human in an often inhumane world through poems that entice, invite, and challenge the reader to think and to feel. Nye writes for and about people, both those who are well-known and those who aren't, with equal intimacy and universality. Nye transports the reader to myriad places around the world including Palestine connecting places and people through their similarities and their differences. Voices in the Air whispers through place, time, and life with reminders of how connected we all are making our interactions all the more important in their ability to impact the world we inhabit. Currently Reading: On Freedom   by Timothy Snyder Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. If you'd like to follow what I'm reading in real time, please follow/friend me on  Bookbub ,  The...

Dear Future by Jennifer Richter took me on an unexpected journey. Many of the poems felt like I was delving into a stream of thought but somehow that unsettling feeling felt like it was intentional and part of the theme. Given the personal nature of many of the poems, there were many times when I felt voyeuristic while reading Dear Future . There seemed to be a message about accepting the moment and not expecting more than the moment offered even when that moment was laden with expectations. Richter made me stop and re-evaluate my perception and understanding of both the poems and human nature more than once. Dear Future is an interesting if somewhat elusive book of poetry. Currently Reading: A People's History of the United States  by Howard Zinn   Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World  by Jason Hickel Parable of the Sower  by Octavia E. Butler Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a...

Verseweavers: the Oregon Poetry Association Anthology of Prize-winning Poems Number 29/2024 is an enjoyable collection of the poems that won the OPA's 2024 poetry contests. The book is divided by contest category and includes comments from the judges. I enjoyed the vast majority of the poems and found the commentary of the judges interesting. The thought-provoking and emotion-provoking poems reminded me how our life experiences can serve to bring us together or drive us apart depending on how we interact with both our experiences and each other. I look forward to receiving my copy of Verseweavers every year because the poems are always an interesting compilation of thoughts, attitudes, emotions, and experiences. Currently Reading: A People's History of the United States  by Howard Zinn   Disarming the Narcissist: Surviving & Thriving with the Self-Absorbed  by Wendy T. Behary Parable of the Sower  by Octavia E. Butler Dear Future  by Jennifer Richter Discl...

If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose by Refaat Alareer starts its emotional impact with the cover and continues it page after page. Alareer weaves emotion with intellect through beautiful phrasing whether writing poetry or prose. If I Must Die examines the experience of Gazans through the eyes of a family man, poet, and scholar. The prose takes the reader into the moments of despair, moments of hope, and moments of resilience while living under bombardment and occupation. The poetry dips into the reader's heart and lifts humanity a little higher like a kite flying above inhumanity. Alareer consistently reminds the reader that history is the present and the present is history by demonstrating the connections of family and land that reach through generations. If I Must Die is a stark but inspirational reminder that holding on to hope isn't a luxury but a necessity in the struggle for liberation. Currently Reading: A People's History of the United States  by Howard Zinn   Disarm...

We The Gathered Heat: Asian American and Pacific Islander Poetry, Performance, and Spoken Word edited by Fanny Choi, Bao Phi No'u Revilla, and Terisa Siagatonu is a beautifully diverse collection of poetic works that stretched the imagination and grounds the emotions. We The Gathered Heat weaves together differences and commonalities in a tapestry of humanity that serves as a reminder that both our diversity and our commonality offer us the opportunity to build a stronger society and a better world. We The Gathered Heat celebrates both the diversity and the unity of the human experience by sharing myriad voices, points of view, and cultures. Throughout the works by a wide variety of authors, the common thread of humanity never frays. We The Gathered Heat covers human experiences that feel like a trip around the world and back again often exploring the role of colonialization from the point of view of the colonized. Currently Reading: A People's History of the United States ...

Black Roses by Ariel Day is a short book filled with easy to read poems. Day writes about life experiences in relatable and engaging language. I really enjoyed the simplicity of many of the poems in Black Roses especially the ones with a twist that exposed an underlying emotional complexity. Day's poems reminded me of past experiences, some that felt more bittersweet even in remembering former pain. Black Roses comforted, inspired, and sometimes surprised me with poems that are short but impactful. Currently Reading: Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World  by Naomi Klein Perfect Victims: And the Politics of Appeal  by Mohammed El-Kurd We the Gathered Heat: Asian American and Pacific Islander Poetry, Performaance, and Spoken Word by Franny Choi, Bao Phi, No'u Revilla, and Terisa Siagaonu (editors) Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. If you'd like to f...

Before the Next Bomb Drops: Rising Up from Brooklyn to Palestine by Remi Kanazi challenges preconceptions and misconceptions by drawing parallels that are sometimes a bit uncomfortable but immersive and realistic. Kanazi writes poetry that is  incredibly beautiful, intensely blunt, and sometimes satisfyingly sarcastic often bringing one to an unexpected realization through the reading. Before the Next Bomb Drops feels current and historical at the same time in its examination of dynamics between peoples, governments, and societies.  Currently Reading: Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World  by Naomi Klein Perfect Victims: And the Politics of Appeal  by Mohammed El-Kurd Black Roses - Poems about love, heartbreak, mental health, healing, grief and loss   by Ariel Day Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. If you'd like to follow what I'm reading...

Hues of Humanity: A Poetry Collection by Carlin W. Allen grabbed my attention with its cover and title. The concept of exploring the hues of humanity felt like such an interesting play of words, I wanted to know where Allen would go. I felt intensely connected to some poems that I didn't expect to connect to and oddly detached from others in ways that I expected to pull me in. Somehow these surprise reactions felt right in the moment. Allen explores myriad aspects of being human and living in a complex society with a mix of seriousness and levity that felt more immersive that ignoring one aspect for the other might have. Hues of Humanity plays with language to play with the human experience demonstrating how our individual uniqueness and our collective commonalities can unite us. Currently Reading: Our History is the Future: Standing Rock Versus The Dakota Access Pipeline, and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance  by Nick Estes Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World ...

Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran is a compilation of a variety of types of works written by Kahlil Gibran.  As soon as I let go of my expectation that there would be more poetry in Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran and subsequently my disappointment that my expectation wasn't met, I really enjoyed Gibran's work. There are a lot of interesting short stories that would classify as flash fiction. There are some excellent poems. There are a couple of engaging novellas. Gibran's writing felt relevant enough to today's world that I had to remind myself a few times that all his works were written before 1931. Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran explores living, loving, society, religion, and tradition both directly and indirectly with intentional, impactful, and often beautiful writing about interesting characters and events. Currently Reading: How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older  by Michael Gregor, Md. Our History is the Future: Standi...

Morning in the Burning House: Poems by Margaret Atwood is a beautiful and heartfelt book of poetry examining myriad aspects of life. Atwood writes about family, love, life, and grief in moments that transcend personal experience reminding me of my own life experiences. As I read the poems, I often felt I could extrapolate a wider meaning from the seemingly personal experience in focus. Atwood plays with words to provoke thought and emotion in creative and accessible ways. Morning in the Burning House feels rooted in reality and symbolism simultaneously.   Currently Reading: Vulture Capitalism: Corporate Crimes, Backdoor Bailouts, and the Death of Freedom  by Grace Blakely One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse  by Ali Abunimah Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. If you'd like to follow what I'm reading in real time, please fo...

Forest of Noise: Poems by Mosab Abu Toha screams life through an examination of facing death. Abu Toha writes his heart onto the page and invites us all to join him. We come to feel like we know him and his family through his words and cheer for their wins while lamenting their losses. Forest of Noise feels like a meditation as well as a call-to-action to live more compassionate, connected lives. Forest of Noise examines the experiences of everyday life we can all relate to juxtaposed against experiences many of us cannot even fully imagine giving us just a small glimpse of life under occupation and bombardment. Currently Reading: Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment   by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief  by Francis Weller A Manual for Creating Atheists  by Peter Boghossian Vulture Capitalism: Corporate Crimes, Backdoor Bailouts, and the Death of Freedom  by Grace Blakely One Co...

Verseweavers: the Oregon Poetry Association Anthology of Prize-winning Poems Number 28/2023  edited by Dale Champlin is the annual compilation of poetry winners from the Oregon Poetry Association's Spring and Fall contests complete with judge's comments. I have to admit I am sometimes tempted to skip the judge's comments but I never do. The poems are varied and interesting, some more so than others. The book is arranged in an easy to read manner with emphasis on the poems themselves. Overall, I enjoyed Verseweavers just as I do every year. Currently Reading: Braiding Sweetgrass   by Robin Wall Kimmerer When We Were Friends  by Jane Green Foster  by Claire Keegan Shattered Dreams the Arranged Marriage  by Jyotsna Ramani Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment   by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief by Grancis Weller Forest of Noise: Poems  by Mosab Abu Toha Disclosure: ...

The Butterfly's Burden by Mahmoud Darwish (translated by Fady Joudah) is a beautiful book of poetry that covers a wide variety of topics. I loved having the original Arabic poems and the English translations side-by-side. I was so amazed by the different lengths of some of the lines that I asked my husband to spot check a few of the translations. He said they were pretty accurate. Darwish has a way of writing about everyday occurrences in ways that make them feel magical and the magical in ways that make them feel accessible. The Butterfly's Burden expounds on the impact of humans on other humans as well as the world we inhabit with its honest reflections on how human beings move through the world for better or worse. Currently Reading: Braiding Sweetgrass   by Robin Wall Kimmerer The Bad Friend  by Caroline Kepne Harlem  by Eric Jerome Dickey When We Were Friends  by Jane Green Foster  by Claire Keegan Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Em...

Iron & Velvet: poetry for hearts breaking and blooming by Stefanie Briar delivers on its promise to explore heart both breaking and blooming. I'm rarely seduced by an interesting cover, but the cover of Iron & Velvet really spoke to me. Briar's poetry explores heartache and loss as well as the journey to mending hearts and growing from the experience. Several of the poems in Iron & Velvet reminded me of heartbreaks as well as moments of healing I've experienced. Briar's style is accessible, relatable, and encompassing. Iron & Velvet holds within it compassion, strength, and vulnerability in poems that delight the senses and at times almost feel like a comforting hug. Currently Reading: How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good  by Steve Phillips They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom  by Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri Time after Time: The Donnelly Cabin Inn Series  by Jo...

Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear by Mosab Abu Toha is an immersive, honest, and intense book of poetry. By the time I finished it I needed to remind myself that poetry, even when based on one's life experiences, is only a snapshot of the moments it details not a memoir. This was another book of poetry that while short took me a long time to read because I wanted to think about and feel each poem after reading it. T hings You May Find Hidden in My Ear reveals gems of language, nuance, and beauty even while detailing atrocities, personal pain, and loss in the larger picture of living. Abu Toha's poems constantly reminded me that while we have many differences in our lives across the world, we share the experience of being human. Abu Toha ends the book with a particularly impactful poem that speaks to both resilience and hopefulness. While laced with the realities of living under occupation, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear imparts an unexpected hopefulness. Currently R...

She Had Some Horses by Joy Harjo starts with a cover that invites motion into the conversation and is filled with poems that move the mind and the heart. Harjo delves into the intricacies of life and living with a deft hand that always feels in motion. I read one poem a night because I wanted to savor each poem and give myself to feel it and think about it. Harjo connects humanity to the earth and the earth to all its inhabitants in a way that reminded me of the just how interconnected everything on the earth is with both celebration and a call to action. She Had Some Horses moves through the imagination like horses in motion. Currently Reading: The January 6th Report The Gift of Fire   by Stephanie Stamm Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza  by Mosab Abu Toha Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History  by Nur Masalha Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional...

Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd is a lyrical, intense, raw, honest book of poetry. The beauty of Rifqa, El-Kurd's grandmother, shines through in his detailing of her resilience juxtaposed with her tenderness. El-Kurd made me miss my own grandmothers through poetry that shines a light on the humanity within each of us that connects us in some way even when we think connection is unimaginable. I saw Rifqa's struggle and El-Kurd's struggle through his words but even more so I saw the beauty of Palestine through both their eyes. The longing for home and the need for connection weaves throughout his poems exposing the occupier through the eyes of the occupied. The use of the Arabic language dotted throughout the book looks beautiful on the page and had me reaching out to my husband for translation enhancing the experience. Rifqa reminded me how the arts can bring us closer to understanding each other in ways that are revolutionary and inspirational. Currently Reading: The January 6t...

The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton 1965-2010  by Lucille Clifton (edited by Kevin Young and Michael S. Glaser) brought all the feelings to the table. Clifton's poems have a sophisticated simplicity that lends beautifully to the complex issues she covers in this wide-ranging book of poems. Some of the more personal poems felt almost voyeuristic but left me wanting to know more. Clifton made me think and feel in poems that pulled me into the world from her point of view. As with any collection, some of Clifton's poems resonated with me more deeply than others. I enjoy poems that make me question what I think I know and challenge me to feel things beyond my experience. The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton 1965-2010 certainly accomplished both. Currently Reading: The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine  by Ilan Pappe The January 6th Report  Rifqa  by Mohammed El-Kurd Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, ...