Letters keeps the poems in their original tweet format, with longer narratives broken up into small sections. Each is titled with the date of its original publication, spanning from 6/5/18 to 10/22/19. This can make it hard to track which poems concern the same characters or events. In the preface, Letters asserts that the poems are “informed by Asian forms” of poetry such as haiku and tanka but doesn’t dogmatically adhere to their constraints, potentially vexing those concerned about appropriation of or conformity to cultural tradition.
The most successful poems are also the most visual. Letters’s message and angle can be caught between critique and support, muddled in their intentions, in lines such as “to keep out/ the invading mothers/ and their phony children.” But the images of “Slow it down/ to see the small earth rotate” and “In your pale night dress/ you sang locust songs” are clear, personal, and easy to connect with. Letters’s collection will thrill readers who love the stark imagery and battles of epic poetry but want an update for the current national climate.
Takeaway: This meditative, minimalist collection of imagistic poems will appeal to readers looking for a contemporary poet blending experimental forms with social commentary.
Great for fans of Brian Turner’s “Here, Bullet,” Charles Olson’s The Maximus Poems.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: -
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: B+
