“Grief I told you is always, but grieving — more often intermittent. “
Riven is a small collection of poetry by Catherine Owen that explores the process of grief by reflecting on nature.
It was a unique collection, and one that I read slowly because I wanted to take time to reflect on each poem. Many of them packed a lot of emotion and feelings into so few words, and rushing through each one wouldn’t give the writing any justice.
Friends, it’s happened again. I recently read another book that I loved so much I’m having a hard time finding the words to describe it. I wasn’t too sure what to expect from The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya, but it exceeded all of my expectations. It was incredibly smart, well-written, and made me think a lot, even days after finishing it.
“This is a book about hope. It is a story about everyday people defending the water resources of their communities and protecting the broader human right to water by ensuring it is now and forever a public trust, one that must not be allowed to fall under private, for-profit control.”
Whose Water Is It, Anyway? by Maude Barlow is equal parts educational and frustrating. I know, that sounds weird, but I’m not quite sure how else to describe a book that goes over water privatization and commercialization, and how people are fighting back to access clean, fresh water.
It was the book itself and it was trying to put into words how to flourish. Not “how to” exactly but that the act of flourishing might be possible.
If you’re looking for a beautifully written collection of poetry, add Flourish by Jacqueline Turner to your list.
I’ve recently started branching out into the world of poetry, and was excited to get a copy of Midlife Action Figure by Chris Banks. I was even more excited when I learned that he lives and writes in Waterloo Region, where I currently live.
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