Tag Archives: Poetry

The Art of Taxidermy: YA Review

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The Art of Taxidermy by Sharon Kernot
Genre: Young Adult, Poetry, Fiction
Publication: July 1st, 2018
Publisher: Text Publishing
Source: Review Copy – THANK YOU
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Lottie collects dead creatures and lovingly cares for them, hoping to preserve them, to save them from disintegration. Her father understands—Lottie has a scientific mind, he thinks. Her aunt wants it to stop, and she goes to cruel lengths to make sure it does.

And her mother? Lottie’s mother died long ago. And Lottie is searching for a way to be close to her.

The Art of Taxidermy is a heartbreaking verse novel exploring love and death, grief and beauty, and the ways we try to make sense of it all.

The Art of Taxidermy has been marketed as “for fans of Steven Herrick (The Simple Gift) and Diana Sweeney (The Minniow)”. I’m a big Herrick fan, and I’m inclined to agree with this statement. I haven’t read any Sweeney, but I do intend to rectify this.

Australian born Lottie is the daughter of two German migrants. After the loss of her mother, Lottie’s aunt takes over the maternal role. Lottie is trying to preserve the beauty of life with her taxidermy experiments. Trying to understand the world around her. Trying to make sense of the devastating losses she has had to face at such a young age. But her aunt doesn’t understand this, or really understand Lottie at all.

Sometimes reading MG or YA the mother/adult in me takes over and I side with the parental figure. But at times while reading this I was internally screaming at Lottie’s aunt and wanted to slap her back to last Friday.

I found the protagonist Lottie easy to connect with. I was Lottie! I think that is a sign of how well a story is told, of how good the story is, If you are so engrossed that you can’t unattach yourself from the character. That you struggle to see it any other way, other than the way the character sees it.

We (as the reader) feel the grief that drags Lottie down and together we deal with it, learn how to live again, and figure out who we are without the ones we love.

Words I would use (and am) to describe this book: beautiful, moving, engrossing, captivating, heart-breaking, heart-warming, hopeful and healing.

This #LoveOzYA verse novel by Mount Barker native Sharon Kernot is a moving testament to life and death. This is a hauntingly beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time.

Find it @ Booktopia | Bookdepository | Goodreads | Text Publishing

 

Thanks for visiting The Adventures of SacaKat.
Until next time, enjoy your shelves :-).

Women of Resistance

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Women of Resistance: Poems for a New Feminism edited by Danielle Barnhart & Iris Mahan
Genre: Poetry, Feminism
Publication: March 13th, 2018
Publisher: OR Books
Source: Audible Audiobook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

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A collection with a feminist ethos that cuts across race, gender identity, and sexuality.

Creative activists have reacted to the 2016 Presidential election in myriad ways. Editors Danielle Barnhart and Iris Mahan have drawn on their profound knowledge of the poetry scene to put together an extraordinary list of poets taking a feminist stance against the new authority. What began as an informal collaboration of like-minded poets—to be released as a handbound chapbook—has grown into something far more substantial and ambitious: a fully fledged anthology of women’s resistance, with a portion of proceeds supporting Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights.

Representing the complexity and diversity of contemporary womanhood and bolstering the fight against racism, sexism, and violence, this collection unites powerful new writers, performers, and activists with established poets. Contributors include Elizabeth Acevedo, Sandra Beasley, Jericho Brown, Mahogany L. Browne, Danielle Chapman, Tyehimba Jess, Kimberly Johnson, Jacqueline Jones LaMon, Maureen N. McLane, Joyce Peseroff, Mary Ruefle, Trish Salah, Patricia Smith, Anne Waldman, and Rachel Zucker.

“This anthology does not have a singular purpose. It is part love letter, part manifesto, part confession, part wish and those are just the raw materials.

It is also a meditation on grief. We grieve for the woman we have lost, the violence and oppression we endure, and the children who will never make it to the terrifying and glorious world of womanhood.” –Taken from the introduction by Danielle Barnhart.

I originally received a e-arc for this poetry collection from Netgalley, but I struggled so much with the formatting on my kindle app that I couldn’t get into the poems. I couldn’t find the rhythm. So I decided to stop trying, as I was beyond frustrated. I decided to wait until the book was released and buy a paperback edition and then try that. What I ended up doing was buying an audiobook version – much better. Hearing the poems read out loud, being able to hear and feel the rhythm, muuuuuuch better!

This collection made me ache. So much anger and pain held in their words. So many wrongs against women told with their words. Some of the poems saddened me deeply. Some I found truly profound. Some spoke to my soul. And some made me want to set the world on fire.

If you are after a beautifully flowing lyrical rhythmic masterpiece – then this isn’t for you.

If you want to feel something real. If you want to know you are not alone in the shit you have been dealt. If you want to embrace your fellow womenkind and experience some of their journeys. If you want to feel empowered by the strength of women – this is for you.

NOTE: This anthology is trigger central. It touches on everything that is Woman. Everything that is life for a woman. The beauty and the danger and the rotten core of it all. Touching on everything from physical abuse, sexual assault, racism, sexism, abortion, marriage, motherhood and menstruation.

Find it @ Booktopia | Bookdepository | Audible | Goodreads

Thanks for visiting The Adventures of SacaKat.
Until next time, enjoy your shelves :-).

36th ANNUAL NEWCASTLE POETRY PRIZE NOW OPEN

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The 36th Newcastle Poetry Prize has opened for entries.

Hunter Writers Centre invites any Australian poet (living here or overseas) to submit a poem up to 200 lines. The competition will close on 30 June 2017.

The Newcastle Poetry Prize is one of the most prestigious in the country with a total prize pool over $22,000. First prize is $15,000 – for one poem.  Second prize is $5000, third prize is $1000. There are also awards given to a poet who resides in the Hunter Region (the Local Award), and The Harri Jones Memorial Prize award ($250) for the best poem by a poet under the age of 35.

History here: http://www.hunterwriterscentre.org/history-of-theprize.html

The Newcastle Poetry Prize is unique among Australian poetry prizes for producing an accompanying anthology that provides a rare opportunity for poets to be published outside of the literary journals and internet magazines.

The Newcastle Poetry Prize has been coordinated by the Hunter Writers Centre since 2002 and is proudly sponsored by the University of Newcastle, which provides the prize money.

Past winners have included John Watson, Brook Emery, Dorothy Hewett, Anthony Lawrence, David Musgrave, Patricia Sykes and Mark Tredinnick.

The 2017 competition will be judged by Professor Kevin Brophy and Eileen Chong. Kevin Brophy is the author of fifteen books of poetry, fiction, and essays.  His latest books are Misericordia (2016) and This is What Gives Us Time (2016).  Eileen Chong’s books are Burning Rice (2012), Peony (2014) and Painting Red Orchids (2016). Her work has been shortlisted for the Anne Elder Award, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, the Peter Porter Poetry Prize, the Newcastle Poetry Prize, and most recently, for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards.

Full entry details can be found on HWC’s website: http://www.hunterwriterscentre.org/newcastle-poetry-prize.html

The Hunter Writers Centre was established in 1995 and is a leading writers centre in Australia now offering three major contests with more than $35,000 in prize monies. It administers the prestigious Newcastle Poetry Prize, the Newcastle Short Story Award and the Grieve Writing Competition. The centre also provides access to professional development through workshops, writing groups and seminars.

The University of Newcastle was established in 1965 and is internationally recognised in research, teaching and learning, environmental sustainability, and equity and diversity.

Nothingness: Friday Fictioneers 100 Word Story Challenge

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I sit in this chair and ponder the nothingness as it consumes the land that surrounds me.

I sit in this chair and as my earthy energies wane the emptiness compounds on me.

That a world so full of life could be dissolved into nothing but a crust astounds me.

Why before now hasn’t a hero come and found me.

Maybe I am supposed to be the hero and fight the nothingness from within. This thought it empowers me.

I sit in this slowly dissolving chair and read a book from the library of fight and suddenly the nothingness clears.

Friday Fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Fields where writers around the world create 100 word stories inspired by the one image.

This week’s PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz

PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz

For more information, CLICK HERE to see Rochelle’s website.

Or CLICK HERE to view the other Friday Fictioneers stories for this week.

DEATH LOVE LUST Anthology

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28869647by Aurelia Fray, Catherine Stovall, Lily Luchesi, Emma Michaels, Michael Cross, Iskra Ryder, Patrick Tumblety, Libby Bishop, Charlotte Ondac, Jenn Nixon, Jaclyn Osborn, Jen L. Joyal, Victoria Kinnaird, Olivia Harper

DEATH LOVE LUST.

Death is definite. Love is infinite. Lust is eternal.

In the end, death always wins. And what of the threads that remain? Love? Lust? The desire to feel both? The desire to return to the living and feel again? Because, despite death, the heart will forever pine for the love that once was; the love that was once tangible but now is reflected back only in memories and photographs. Both love and lust are stronger than death and will always linger long after life is pulled from us. Because of this we will always remain definite, infinite, and eternal.

Published February 4th 2016 by Hot Ink Press.

GOODREADS – AMAZON AU – AMAZON US

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~  My  Thoughts  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I received an ARC of this book in an exchange for an honest review, THANK YOU :-).

As I normally review teen appropriate YA books I better stress the fact that this anthology is for 18+ Adults Only!

I love anthology’s! I think they are great for getting a little peep at different authors ‘voices’ and finding new favorites.

The Death-Love-Lust Anthology is a collection of adult poems and short stories exploring, you guessed it, death love and lust, featuring both hetero and homosexual couples – oh and delicious demons and righteous reapers.

The poems are absolutely beautiful, I read them all multiple times.

The stories range from dark and mysterious to sexy and sinful, with beautiful deep everlasting love shining through.

Normally I’d stay away from erotica that dabbles with death, but as the lovely Lily Luchesi was a part of it and given how I really enjoy her Paranormal Detective series, I gave it a go. I was pleasantly surprised! This is a collection of well-rounded pieces connecting life, death and love. Obviously there were some stories I preferred over others, but as a whole it was a really enjoyable, engaging and entertaining read.

star.4

The New Year

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Christmas is over for another year

and as it goes it drains me of all my cheer

Regardless of your religion I hope you got to be with the ones you love

And found solace in whatever you believe is above

We go into the new year with the world in distress

The minority hurting the majority and making a mess

Mother nature is crying but no one hears

Because some bloody mongrels are shouting out bad ideas

Ignore these monsters

We can block them out by standing together

Forgetting our differences

and just loving each other

It is in mankind’s nature to only think of its self

Hence why the earth is disintegrating into hell

plant a tree and get to know your neighbour

recycle as much as you can and never renege on a favour

We’ve all got problems

but this world is in serious decline

I want there to be a happy healthy world in which my children can grow

Not this dark and decaying one that is starting to show

kisses

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and you got be be with the people you love. I was lucky enough to get to be with most of the people I hold dear.

Now I’m going to have some time away from the internet; bar Facebook and Instagram, as I don’t want to give up seeing everybody hanging out taking happy snaps and enjoying time with family :-).

I’ll be back on the 8th of January with a release day sneak peek for a lovely lady and her paranormal detective series. I’ll return to my regular posting schedule on the 17th with my first Bookish Babble of 2016. I’ll see you then.

Today is your birthday

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Today is your birthday
And I hope you’re doing well
I contemplate sending you a message
But quickly realise it won’t reach you in your personal hell

Is it you that’s stuck
Or is it me that dwells
In a place of memories
And secrets not to tell

My knight in shining armour
You could never be
A drug to keep you high forever
Well that was never me

Will you always be with me
In that condemned place
Or as time consumes me
Will I forget it and your beautiful face

Today is your birthday
And I truly hope you are doing well
I wish for you a light to show you a path
Out of your personal hell

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Why Won’t It Do

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In this world I have everything

But it just won’t do

Always left wanting more

As desire tries to break down the door

I can be so materialistic at times

That it makes me sick

Actually sometimes it causes me to act like a dick

Always wanting

Only to want more

I get so cranky while waiting to score

I have everything I need

But it’s never enough

My life is filled with cuddles and love

But it always seems that it’s never enough

What on earth else is needed to fill the void?

I thought once my son was born it’d be destroyed

This hidden hungry monster that lives in my brain

Before she excited life was much simpler

And I was happy with plain

How do I satisfy her?

When she’s in a world with everything

But it won’t do

Karma Knows the Truth

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Stirring shit

You better think quick

Before you get bit

And blown away

How sad your life must be

To spend your time causing so much misery

Spinning your lies until the world dissolves to grey

The people that you mess with

Can only take so much

It’ll be worse than a bull rush

When karma comes to your town

The pain and suffering you’ve caused

Will beat down your doors

And you will get what’s coming to do

No matter how much you try to explain

It’ll all be in vain

As karma knows the truth