Clare Pollard's fourth collection is steeped in folktale and ballads and looks at the stories we tell about ourselves. From the Pendle witch-trials in 17th-century Lancashire to the gangs of modern-day east London, "Changeling" takes on our myths and monsters. These are poems of place that journey from Zennor to Whitby, Broadstairs to Brick Lane. Whether relocating the traditional ballad 'The Twa Corbies' to war-torn Iraq, introducing us to the bearded lady Miss Lupin, or giving us a glimpse of the 'beast of Bolton', " Changeling " is a collection about our relationship with the Other: fear and trust, force and freedom.
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They sat us in a pale and private place,quickly conveyed the worst -explained the curse that was your fateand how for one-long, ill-starred nightyou'd turn and burn, become all beastsyou could dream up.- Tam Lin's Wife
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(@BloodaxeBooks, 1 January 2011, paperback, 64 pages, bought from @AmazonUK)
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I've read Changeling once when I bought it not long after it was published. I enjoyed this collection a lot. I love mythology and I really enjoy reading different versions and variations of myths. Some of the myths and monsters explored in this collection were familiar but others I read about for the first time. The poems are well-written, rich and engaging. I especially liked Pendle, Adventures in Capitalism, Spell, An Island, Lovely Trees and The Lure. I'd recommend this.
