The poems of How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons) find breath and lightness in the common business of living. Barbara Kingsolver's generous collection is divided into thematic sections that loop and interweave to form a carefully patterned whole: a series of 'How to' poems that smartly balance tongue-in-cheek pragmatism with revelatory wisdom, a complicated yet affirmative family pilgrimage to Italy, cherished childhood memories, the perils and pleasures of being a [female] writer, elegies to lost loved ones, and elegies to the planet. Blending resourcefulness and wonder with all the compassionate humanity of her prose, How to Fly will both delight Kingsolver's devoted readership and welcome a host of new readers to her startling verse, while revealing an intimate side to her creative practice as yet unseen.
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How to stay at this desk when the sun is barefooting cartwheels over the grass - HOW TO DRINK WATER WHEN THERE IS WINE
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(@FaberBooks, 6 August 2020, hardback, 120 pages, bought from @AmazonUK)
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Kingsolver is one of my favourite fiction writers so I was looking forward to reading her poetry. This is an incredible collection of poetry. I loved every word and every line of every poem. Her style reminds me a lot of the poetry of my other favourite writer, Joyce Carol Oates. The collection is split into seven sections, perfect to read across a week, with each section dealing with a different theme such as loss, hope and how to seek out the good things in life. Kingsolver puts so-called popular Insta Poets to shame with her dense, beautiful poetry and her imagery which will stay in my head for days and maybe weeks to come. Kingsolver's poetry is as stunning as her prose. I loved every poem in this collection. Some gems include How To Drink Water When There Is Wine, The Roman Circus, Burying Ground, By The Roots, Thief, Where It Begins and The Nature of Objects.
