Katie Griffiths' debut poetry collection, The Attitudes, is a search for trust and faith - in the body, in the mind, in all those things we seek to hold on to but cannot. Here, we intimately encounter mortality and tread the balance between visceral wisdom and the intellect, between fragile, fallible bodies, and the mind's hold over them, between the bright spaces and the haunted ones.
In poems that are bold, effervescent, frequently playful, Griffiths approaches serious subjects - eating disorders, ageing, grieving - with a precise and inventive lyricism. The Attitudes compiles multitudes, with layer upon layer of counterpoints, juxtaposing and exploring the unresolvable, all the while seeking to move towards a place of deeper reflection and stillness away from the noise and distraction of the daily business of being alive. An astute and accomplished book which transforms.
***
He says exorcism improves flexibility of the hands. AND IN OUR IDELENESS WE COMPARE HANDS
***
(@NineArchesPress, 15 April 2021, ebook, 72 pages, borrowed from @natpoetrylib via @OverDriveInc)
***
***
The Attitudes is an impressive debut and I look forward to what the poet comes up with next. I liked the wide range of subjects the poems touch rather than having a narrow focus which allows for a lot of diversity in style and imagery. The poems are powerfully written and full of powerful imagery and ideas. I really enjoyed this collection.
