Poetry Unbound

January 23, 2023
“The poems collected in this anthology ask essential questions about how to thrive in a complicated world, about how to love when life hasn’t been easy,” Ó Tuama writes in his preface to this sensitive anthology that builds on his podcast of the same name. Offering keen reflections on poems by Margaret Atwood, Ilya Kaminsky, Ada Limón, and Ocean Vuong, Ó Tuama juxtaposes critical insights with appealing personal anecdotes (“There are poems I repeat to myself, almost like a hum, or a prayer, or a spell,” he writes, elsewhere noting, “The first poem I wrote was an idiotic one about a ten-foot dog. I was twelve.”). The book’s epigraph borrows lines from “Consider the Hands that Write This Letter” by Aracelis Girmay, a poem also included in the collection: “I pray for this to be my way: sweet/ work alluded to in the body’s position to its paper:/ left hand, right hand/ like an open eye, an eye closed:/ one hand flat against the trapdoor,/ the other hand knocking, knocking.” Ó Tuama has succeeded in organizing a valuable introduction to poetry for those just familiarizing themselves with the form, and a timely way to renew and deepen that appreciation for seasoned readers.

March 1, 2023

Riffing off his phenomenally popular podcast, Poetry Unbound, Irish poet and theologian � Tuama (In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World) offers a curated selection of 50 poems--"fifty little doors" that open "memories, associations, fantasies, desires and pain." Poetry is about the human condition. Some say that it is meant to be spoken aloud, as it is here. In the telling, listeners may find unexpected personal connections and revelations, perhaps even pondering the "why" of human existence. This collection features mostly modern-day poets, including Margaret Atwood, Ilya Kaminsky, Ada Lim�n, and Ocean Vuong, to name just a few. � Tuama reads these poems in his lyrical Dublin accent, which is rhythmic and sweet. His voice is calming and comforting, and his discussion of the poems is insightful. Sometimes he shares personal anecdotes that will help listeners relate to the poems and understand the writer's journey. VERDICT Listeners will experience and learn something different with every visit to this stunning collection. A necessary purchase for newcomers and seasoned poetry lovers alike. Suggest to fans of William Sieghart's The Poetry Remedy.--Patricia Snoblen

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