Shortlisted for the ReLit 2022 Poetry Award ink earl takes the popular subgenre of erasure poetry to its illogical conclusion. Starting with ad copy that extols the iconic Pink Pearl eraser, Holbrook erases and erases, revealing more and more. Rubbing out different words from this decidedly non-literary, noncanonical source text, she was left with the promise of “100 essays” and set about to find them. Among her discoveries are queer love poems, art projects, political commentary, lunch, songs, and entire extended families. The absurdity of the constraint lends itself to plenty of fun and funny, while reminding us of truths assiduously erased by normative forces. ink earl’s variations are testament in micro to the act of poiesis as not so much a building as an intrepid series of effacements; we rub away at the walls of language we’ve lived within in order to release both what’s been written over, and what we want to say now.
Heavily inspired by the Brain Jacques “Redwall” series and the famous grasshopper scene in “A Bug's Life”. Pencils live under the ruling thumb of the Erasers, a minority who are aided in their monarchy by the brutish Markers. The Erasers have held their power for much too long and under the helm of a true tyrant, Ink Earl, and his terrible family, the Pencils who live in San Ford can no longer allow the tyranny and torture to continue. Dixon, Faber, and Prisma are just three of the many Pencils who wish to cut Ink Earl down from his position. Together they plan to overthrow Ink Earl, though their plans are continually stalled until Dixon’s prophetic dream one night of a golden Quill. With the Quill’s lead, they will find a powerful and dangerous weapon to aid them in their fight for freedom. The weapon could lead them to a sure victory, but it could also lead Dixon to an early end. NicoPengin.com
On Christmas Eve, 1898, a young woman gives birth while caught outside in a swirling blizzard. Thaw follows the unsettled life of this child, as she grows into a disquieting presence in tranquil Cupboard Cove. Hazel Boone lives life on its border, moving among familiar strangers, her body driven by temptation and an inner fire. Her self-indulgence creates a shame that percolates down through generations, seizing everyone in its path including her son the painter David Boone and his young apprentice Tilly Gover. Seventy years after her birth, during a winter of constriction, a tragedy repeats itself, and the residents of this small outport re-discover that passion can be as destructive as it is redeeming.
Joyfully melding knowing humour and torqued-up wordplay, Holbrook’s second collection is a comic fusion of the experimental and the experiential, the procedural and the lyric. Punch lines become sucker punches, line breaks slip into breakdowns, the serious plays comical and the comical turns deadly serious. Holbrook’s poems don’t use humour as much as they deconstruct the comic impulse, exposing its roots in the political, the psychological and the emotional life of the mind. Many of these poems import shapes and source texts from elsewhere – home inspection reports, tampon instructions, poems by Lorca – in a series of translations, transpositions and transgressions that invite a more intimate and critical rapport with the written word. This is not merely a book, it is a chocolate-covered artificially intelligent virus with an impish sense of humour that will continue to replicate in your mind long after initial exposure.
In 1934, Gertrude Stein asked "What is poetry and if you know what poetry is what is prose." Throaty Wipes answers this question and many more! How does broadband work? Does "chuffed" mean pleased or displeased? What if the generations of Adam had mothers? Through her signature fusion of formal innovation and lyricism, Holbrook delivers what we've been waiting for. Susan Holbrook is the author of three poetry books, including Joy Is So Exhausting and Reading (and Writing About) Poetry (Broadview Press, 2015). She lives in Leamington, Ontario, and teaches at the University of Windsor.
CLASSICS FOR CHRISTMAS: 180+ Novels, Christmas Tales, Poems & Carols in One Volume (Illustrated) offers an unparalleled aggregation of literary treasures, each radiating the warm spirit of Christmas in a myriad of textures. This anthology spans the vast landscape of classic literature, encompassing an array of genres from the poignant prose of Dickensian tales to the lyrical verses of Wordsworth, all unified under the festive banner of the holiday season. Such a compilation not only showcases the scholarly depth of the editors but also shines a light on the individual gemsstories, and poems that have shaped the cultural legacy of Christmas, making it a time of reflection, joy, and profound storytelling. The diverse cadre of authors presented in this volumeranging from novelists like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky to poets like Emily Dickinson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and not forgetting the visionary storytellers such as Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersenbrings together a rich tableau of cultural and historical contexts. This anthology embodies a unique cross-section of literary movements, from Romanticism to Realism, each contributing to the multifaceted celebration of Christmas in literature. It is a tribute to their collective genius, offering a cohesive narrative that transcends geographical and temporal boundaries to underscore the universal themes of love, generosity, and renewal inherent to the holiday season. This volume is an essential addition to the libraries of those who cherish the literary soul of the holiday season. Beyond its value as a comprehensive anthology of Christmas classics, it serves as a gateway to the varied emotional landscapes created by some of literatures most celebrated authors. Readers are invited to dive into this cornucopia of festive tales, poems, and carolsto be delighted by the familiar, challenged by the profound, and ultimately enriched by the breadth of perspectives and stylistic approaches. CLASSICS FOR CHRISTMAS offers not just stories to be read but experiences to be lived and shared, making it an invaluable resource for anyone looking to rediscover the depth and complexity of the holiday spirit through the lens of classic literature.
