A worthy but unevenly executed effort.
A short collection of poems that focuses on the ills in modern-day society.
Gary, the author of POetiQ Roses (2008), presents a fervent collection of new verses with a title that seems appropriate, as it appears to refer to a street sweeper whose cleansing act zeroes in on such ills as corporate corruption, drug addiction, and war. The author’s style bears traces of spoken-word art, as it feels as conversational as it is poetic. This is as much a weakness as it is a strength, however, as the book takes on a level of metafiction that can be jarring; for instance, Gary references the reader and her book in “Skull Ice Candy”: “Inhale, inject, smoke and consume this Book / Hug every word until the pages are shook / Where the Library orders what’s off the hook.” Some words seem chosen purely for their rhyme, regardless of meaning, as evidenced in “Members of Society”: “Time to weed out Unhealthy Relations with others / Even if you liked them, Like their your Brother / Speak from the Heart, even if it’s just to your Lover.” Words are capitalized seemingly at random, with no clear pattern, and there are occasional spelling errors. There’s clear strength in Gary’s writing, as her emotions are evident when she takes on societal issues. For instance, in “Chief Officials,” she writes, “No Rabbi around to educate all about this unknown system / To be free from this hindrance, A survivor but still victim / What could be the purpose of punishing innocence and crush wisdom.” But although the writing has good bones, it lacks focus and seems too caught up in compositional experimentation. When the author writes honestly about her thoughts and emotions, though, the rawness of her style comes to her aid.
A worthy but unevenly executed effort.Pub Date: April 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5453-7081-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A pleasant if not entirely convincing tribute to the power of art.
A French art historian’s English-language fiction debut combines the story of a loving relationship between a grandfather and granddaughter with an enlightening discussion of art.
One day, when 10-year-old Mona removes the necklace given to her by her now-dead grandmother, she experiences a frightening, hour-long bout of blindness. Her parents take her to the doctor, who gives her a variety of tests and also advises that she see a psychiatrist. Her grandfather Henry tells her parents that he will take care of that assignment, but instead, he takes Mona on weekly visits to either the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, or the Centre Pompidou, where each week they study a single work of art, gazing at it deeply and then discussing its impact and history and the biography of its maker. For the reader’s benefit, Schlesser also describes each of the works in scrupulous detail. As the year goes on, Mona faces the usual challenges of elementary school life and the experiences of being an only child, and slowly begins to understand the causes of her temporary blindness. Primarily an amble through a few dozen of Schlesser’s favorite works of art—some well known and others less so, from Botticelli and da Vinci through Basquiat and Bourgeois—the novel would probably benefit from being read at a leisurely pace. While the dialogue between Henry and the preternaturally patient and precocious Mona sometimes strains credulity, readers who don’t have easy access to the museums of Paris may enjoy this vicarious trip in the company of a guide who focuses equally on that which can be seen and the context that can’t be. Come for the novel, stay for the introductory art history course.
A pleasant if not entirely convincing tribute to the power of art.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9798889661115
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Europa Editions
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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