On A Brief History of Time

{ July 20, 2009 @ 9:33 am } · { Poetry & Social Conscience, Poetry Books }
{ Tags: Book Reviews, Shaindel Beers }

A few years ago, I took a workshop under poet Margaret Gibson who talked about the importance of poetry giving  voice to those who cannot speak.  The whole time I was reading Shaindel Beers’ A Brief History of Time (Salt Publishing, 2009), I thought of Gibson’s words.  Beers’ first collection of poetry is a work that explores the lives of those (usually women) who are usually not heard.   In “HA!” we learn the story of a woman “dying of ovarian cancer” who has to work at the local Dollar General.  In “Why It Almost Never Ends with Stripping” we see the contemplations of a young woman exploring a new career.  And in “Weekend Rain Ghazal” we see a woman thinking of her past in the vast rural landscapes of farming, proclaiming “My English teacher told me not marry a farmer; my whole life would depend on rain.”  (This last poem, by the way, is my personal favorite).  You don’t believe me?  Well, take a look at this review here and this interview here, and then, add A Brief History of Time to your reading list.