Do you guys read poetry?
It’s embarrassing to admit but I tend to avoid poetry because it makes me kind of… emotional.
The concentration of language, the beauty of the words, and the brevity of poetry all work together to turn me into a teary mess.
And sure enough, when I read Margaret Atwood’s Dearly, published after the death of her husband Graeme, I was in tears in a coffee shop.
Anyone who knows me knows I really love Atwood. Her fiction is incredible, and unsurprisingly, her poetry is just as outstanding.
Dearest is a gorgeous collection of work on loss and memory, with a few weird touches. (Classic Atwood.)
Some of these poems are acerbic and direct, tinged with Atwood’s characteristic dark humour. Others have a playful, nostalgic tinge. Mostly, they are sad.
Invisible Man is a short poem, a vignette of loss about the emptiness left after the passing of her husband. She writes about “The shape of an absence” and how “You’ll be here but not here… muscle memory”.
Dearly is a beautiful and varied anthology. Even the cover design and the quality of the paper are lovely, making this a really special reading experience. Even if poetry makes you cry, give it a shot – you can always dry your eyes on a napkin like I did.
You can find a copy of Margaret Atwood’s Dearly here.
Cherie lives, works, and reads in beautiful Tasmania – the green island gem below Australia known for its gorgeous landscape and beautiful wildlife. She holds multiple academic qualifications in English, journalism, and fine art theory, and has worked in writing, editing, and communications roles for more than a decade. Most importantly, she has a deep love for books that began as soon as she learned how to read.
Old, new, any genre – for Cherie, reading is about as vital as breathing. She is interested in sharing books that move, excite, and compel, so others can share the joy of a truly great read. While she reads across most genres, her favourite is literary fiction. Particularly anything by Margaret Atwood, Ottessa Moshfegh, Kate Atkinson, Elizabeth Berg, Ann Patchett, and Anne Tyler.
Cherie frequents Tasmania’s beautiful boutique book shops as well as scouring secondhand shops for books to add to her extensive home library. Catch up with her on LinkedIn and on Instagram.
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