Poetry Book Club - October

Poetry Book Club October: ‘Hera Lindsay Bird’

Publisher: Penguin, UK, 2017

Author: Hera Lindsay Bird

If it’s ok with you I’m gonna slip right back into Poetry Book Club like I just popped out for ten minutes (and not two months) to grab a loaf of bread. Only, I didn’t just grab bread, I grabbed a poetry book that I have been thinking about SO MUCH. Forget about the bread (I already ate it anyway), can we get back to reading some poetry please.

Yes, I have read this one ahead of time. I don’t normally do that either. I like to pretend (in my head) that we are all reading along separately but together ready to meet up at the end of the month in a quiet little coffee shop down the road (parking is such a breeze) where Jasmine will pick her cake apart on the plate (that’s SO Jasmine), Natalie will have folded a million pages and be desperate to serenade us with her favourites (please, please) while Remi will sit back quietly only to deliver the observation of the night (her accent reading that last line though…) These are fictional characters you understand. Look, although not technically an only child, my siblings are much older than me. Enough said.

So yes, I read this one over the summer. And I did wonder about choosing another book for October. Because, even if in reality I am reading alone, this book club does encourage me to read the thing, cover to cover. To keep going, even when it makes my head ache. Especially when it makes my head ache.

Oh on that, did you happen to read this piece, ‘How to Like Poetry’ by Isaac Kolding ? It is such a wonderful reminder of why we are all here. I don’t mean why we exist (although, if anyone has that nailed I’m all ears) but rather, why poetry. I was away with a friend who actively dislikes poetry at the weekend (I know, I know, I’m wearing her down) and I read her some of this essay out loud. I swear it’s only what I’ve been telling her for years (eye roll) but the description of reading poetry armed with a bunch of ‘maybe this’ ‘maybe that’s’ really seemed to strike a chord. With me too.

Anyhow, the reason I decided to go ahead with this book choice for October was simply because this book is so damn good.

It’s crazy, it’s absurd, it’s very funny and it’s also very emotional. Half the time I didn’t have a clue what was going on and then suddenly there would be a line which made my whole body ache with its accuracy. With its beauty. There were times I thought, “did she just say that?” And yes, yes she did. There is a poem entitled, ‘Keats is dead so fuck me from behind’. There are lines about love in this book that are now on my list of favourite lines about love ever. I won’t share any more yet because if anyone hasn’t read it yet and does fancy joining me I don’t want to ruin the rollercoaster.

If that’s not enough and you’d still like just a little nibble of what’s to come before you commit, or if you have no intention of joining in but were hoping for a poem this Wednesday, this is probably her most well known poem - ‘Monika’, where she brilliantly dissects the character of Monika Geller from Friends.

This month I am going to read ‘Hera Lindsay Bird’ (can we admire the audacity of naming your first poetry book after yourself) again. It’s not a long poetry book, I finished my first attempt in just a few days. But I devoured it in that way you do when a plate of food arrives and you didn’t realise how hungry you were until you look up and see that everyone is on their third bite and you’re sat back wiping meat juice from your lips (as a vegetarian) announcing, “well, wasn’t that great” and promptly realising you might have enjoyed it even more if you’d taken one, maybe two breaths. So I’m going back in for a second slurp. Not sure slurp is quite the right word here (dragging out a theme). But then, maybe it’s fine. There’s a review on the back page which states, “I now ask myself, ‘What would Hera Lindsay Bird do?’” and honestly, it’s not a bad question.

And then at the end of October can we talk about it please? Can we do that?

I’ll do a follow up post and share a few favourite poems too so that even if the word ‘slurp’ has not enticed you to join in this month you can still dabble in some light poetry discussion if you fancy.

What do you think?

And if you’ve already read it (I realise it’s not new) then please can you come back and talk to me about it anyway.

I’d like that a lot.

Nelly x