I have an exciting new poetry book to place on your radar--With My Back to the World by Victoria Chang. It's a collection of vivid poems that explores themes of isolation, anxiety, and the search for meaning. Chang's poems are known for their innovative use of language and form and how she uses both to illustrate emotions can be difficult to express on paper--she offers a nice fresh take.
What's make this collection even more intriguing is that this time, her poetry is inspired by the work of abstract artist Agnes Martin, whose paintings are known for their large-scale
canvases filled with grids and subtle variations in color. I would expect that Chang will explore similar ideas of minimalism and the space between elements in her poems. I can't wait to see how she uses all of these elements in her words, the visuals, and placement.
Early reviews suggest that the poems will be Chang's signature style - "painterly, meditative" - full of surprise, wit, and profundity. She is known for experimenting with form, including blackout poetry and erased text, which may be incorporated into this collection as well.
Let's touch base again, if you pick up a copy. You can purchase a copy of With My Back to the World: Poems by Victoria Chang at Book Culture, a wonderful independent bookstore located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Tell me your favorite selections.
Peace,
MA
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