| Title | : | Dame Evergreen: And Other Poems of Myth, Magic, and Madness |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0999883917 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780999883914 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 84 |
| Publication | : | First published July 30, 2018 |
Dame Evergreen: And Other Poems of Myth, Magic, and Madness Reviews
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This collection has been nominated for the 2019 Elgin Award. Rating and review to follow.
Poems of Goddesses from many cultures, witches and other pagan themes. -
If, like me, you love mythology and fairy tales, then this is for you. If, like me, you enjoy poems that are wildly creative but still accessible, this is for you. If you don't mind darkness mixed in with your whimsy or a dash of reality interwoven with the lyricism, this is for you. The collection features a wide range of styles and subjects tied to myth, magic and madness, which I really enjoyed. Some of my favorite poems were: "mama always says," "Turtle," "Welcome to the Library," and "Iphicles, On His Brother’s Return."
Full disclaimer: Rebecca Buchanan has published my work in her online magazine, and I have been a guest editor for some anthologies she was editor-in-chief for. I was given a copy in exchange for an unbiased review. It was my pleasure to read it. -
Disclosure: Rebecca Buchanan is lovely editor who has featured some of my work in her magazine. She asked me to provide an unbiased review in exchange for a copy of this collection.
This collection is an eclectic mix of paens to lost goddesses, retold fairy tales, feminist revisionism, modern myth, horror, and light fantasy. The value of this wide variety is clear: like a box of chocolates, there's at least one thing here for every reader!
At Buchanan's best, there's a strong sense of the past being ever with us, alive through the centuries, if hidden, as in poems like "The Pomona of Park Avenue." At her best, the world is filled with mystery and magic, even in the face of modern technology and war, as in "gray mare," or with dark, somber emotion, as in "grave-gifts."
However, the collection moves rapidly from style to style and tone to tone, like a butterfly alighting on any flower that appeals at the moment, and some of the tonal shifts can be jarring. That's the risk you take with offering the reader a cornucopia of poems from which to choose.
This collection is probably best suited to a reader looking for re-envisioned fairy tales and mythology, or people with a strong understanding of pagan beliefs. Those readers will find their time rewarded! -
Rebecca Buchanan is the editor of the Pagan literary ezine, Eternal Haunted Summer, and she’s bringing all her Pagan rites to bear on this collection. Goddesses, fairy tales, and myths fill the pages of Buchanan’s work, but what I enjoyed most was the humor and simplicity of these poems.
