April 15, 2024
In this sunny debut collection, Sullivan traces a lifelong journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance with deceptive depth. The poems capture relatable small pleasures of life and a spirit of resilience, as she recalls facing such challenges as a bad marriage, and acts of bravery, such as her relocation to Portland, Ore., for a new start. The most troubling parts of life provide an opportunity to seize the day: “Look, America is awful and the earth is too hot and the truth of/ the matter is we’re all up against the clock. It makes everything/ simple and urgent: there’s only time to turn toward what you truly/ love.” While romantic love can be a destructive force, there are always opportunities to live and love again: “Is there a way to love and not die? I’m not sure but the Alaskan/ wood frog freezes solid in winter only to blast back in spring.” There are a fair number of pieces of less substance, but even many of these offer delightfully musical moments, as in “Remember What It Was Like to Be a Kid?” which begins, “All skinned knees,/ pavement and sick-sweet/ candy in the sticky backseat.” Sullivan’s unpretentious and blunt recounting of her experiences is a breath of fresh air.
September 13, 2024
Fresh starts, the road less traveled, and a thirst for discovering oneself are at the heart of Sullivan's immersive and affirming debut poetry collection. Narrating her own work, Sullivan urges listeners to break from the tried and true, the staid and the expected, and seek out the unknown and the uncomfortable, for it is here that the zest of life can be found. As she states in her introduction, "remind yourself--joy is not a trick." The collection is resonant and wide-ranging, from meditations on evocative childhood moments ("All skinned knees, / pavement and sick-sweet / candy in the sticky backseat") to memories of her mother's grim admonitions about sex outside of marriage ("In marriage, sex was a / beautiful maiden. Outside it, a shrieking hag and shriveled ruin"). Whether Sullivan is considering the British monarchy, questioning a higher power, or reflecting on the pandemic, motherhood, or finding one's home, listeners will find intimately conveyed moments of introspection, joy, pain, and love. Joy effuses self-discovery and reflection in every syllable. VERDICT A sincere and moving narration. Sullivan's raw, enigmatic debut will easily win listeners over and will be a collection to revisit again and again. A marvel.--Erin Cataldi
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.