Literary reviews by Tim Love.
Warning: Rather than reviews, these are often notes in preparation for reviews that were never finished, or pleas for help with understanding pieces. See Litref Reviews - a rationale for details.

Tuesday, 22 February 2005

"How to disappear" by Amanda Dalton (Bloodaxe, 1999)

For much of the book I thought she wasn't much good. There were some better poems towards the end but too little too late. I've doubts about whether the book merits publication let alone should represent a "Next Generation" poet. Oh dear - what will the americans think of us? I like "How to Disappear". "Red Monkey" made a change. The "Cut Off" sonnet works well. Here to provide a flavour, are the endings of the first 6 poems - "then you were gone", "and she couldn't move her legs, she couldn't move her legs at all", "Then something deeper started echoing for miles across the sand", "they were the strangest words to hear from a boy", "She tested the weight of stone in her palm. Just once", "We never spoke again of killing snails".

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