Oceanic

I love this collection for the variety and clarity. As longtime fan of Ms. Nezhukumatathil's work, I always enjoy reading each new poem slowly to myself, savoring the taste of each new word combination. Then I speak the lines out loud, chewing their sounds and listening to the new rhythms. Like all her previous books, this one transports you to new places and times that seem somehow familiar. My favorites in this collection include "Sea Church", "Penguin Valentine" and "Invitation". "Love in the Time of Swine Flu" made my husband and I laugh out loud and sigh with smiles to find parenting thoughts framed so perfectly. If you are new to modern poetry or aren't yet familiar with this poet's elegant and approachable work, this little jewel is a great place to start. As she writes, "Come in, come in-the water's fine!" (Spoiler: I'm a Super Fan!!!)

Another work of sparkling poetic brilliance (full disclosure: Aimee is my favorite poet) that deserves a spot on every poetry lover's shelf and a space in every language lover's heart. This book is an immensely pleasurable read filled with impeccably crafted verse inspired by nature: our world and all the creatures that inhabit it, including you and me. It is difficult to describe how much I enjoyed this particular volume. I can't wait to begin giving these out as gifts soon. When is your birthday?

Thank you to Copper Canyon Press for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. In the thick of this never-ending winter, submerge yourself in Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s most recent release, Oceanic, an in-depth sea world adventure. Let Nezhukumatathil’s nostalgia-drenched poetry wash over you and break into sizzling stanzas. Towards the beginning of the book, Nezhukumatathil writes a nostalgic psalm to her younger self with the poem “When I Am Six”. She then explores the roots to her passion for the ocean with “Mr. Cass and the Crustaceans”. After that, Nezhukumatathil’s pauses to get inside a penguin’s mind with “Penguin Valentine”, before exploring different realms of the animal kingdom with “Meals of Grief & Happiness”. Towards the end of this collection, Nezhukumatathil’s presents “Perch Bones and Apple Aubade” a surprisingly honest portrayal of a relationship, using the graceful beauty of an equine metaphor. After that, Nezhukumatathil humors her readers with “This Sugar”, before the hauntingly melancholy of “The Body”. Nezhukumatathil is clearly inspired by all forms of art – an attractive characteristic in her poetry. In “Self-Portrait as an Egg-Tempera Illuminated Manuscript from 1352” she lusts over a painter, as well as several other poems when she is inspired by paintings. She is also moved to write by music, such as one poem inspired by a Prince song. I invite you to swim through Nezhukumatathil’s touching, aquatic poetry, just released this week!

Nezhukumatathil says that her poems are "love poems" about the things she is grateful for and the people and places she loves. Her work is a clever overlay of metaphors and meaning. Though she does discuss some heavier issues like sex trafficking in this work, most of her poems are light and easy subjects. Surf and turf imagery blends in this book; expect a lot of water-related themes in the images.

am enjoying the breadth and depth of her mind

Aimee Nezhukumatathil is one of my favorite contemporary writers. I feel so lucky to know her poems and to know that I get to share this lifetime with her work in this world. This collection is filled with tender songs for both the dying and living forces in the human and non-human kingdoms. What a lovely set of poems. --Khaty

Mesmerizing details of the complexities of relationships and the undervalued earth, ocean, and sky. A true work of art. Thank you Aimee.

This is a very good book of poetry. N has a fine way with words and images. She can be sexy, funny and serious by turns.