Picked this up for a book club where we were picking our own poetry to read. I happened upon this in a local bookstore and was interested because of the unsolved murder and as a U-M alum myself. Really enjoyed the story and the poetry. It was a quick read initially and I know I’m going to go back again to delve more into some of the poems. Great find!

I'm not sure how this got on my library hold list--I read Nelson's book, "The Argonauts," several years ago (although I don't remember much of it) and I vaguely recall another author mentioning this book in a podcast or article. In any case, I'm glad I read it. It's sad, but thoughtful, and its collage-like form--a mix of poems, short essays, and excerpts from the subject's childhood journal--is effective and interesting. Nelson manages to make the book feel prosaic in its pacing, by simultaneously recounting Jane's life and Nelson's life learning about Jane, while still poetic in its introspection. Which is to say that it's a surprisingly accessible book and a quick read.

Things I most enjoyed about this book--First, the author finding parts of herself similar to Jane (e.g., how they're both "gusher[s]," women "surging into [themselves]" (48)). Second, many of the poems, which are so effective in their brevity. A few examples (in full):

"They knew how to mourn with dignity, my mother says. It's the Calvinist way. As if keening on your knees were somehow obscene. As if there were a control so marvelous you could teach it to eat pain.” 103.

“There was an argument going on, one with subtle terms. Can anyone like blood the way one likes the mountains or the sea? Two slugs turn the light of the mind into dull meat. Answer me.” 119.

Third, there's something really pretty about writing a book-length elegy for a person you never met. It acknowledges their impact on those around you, and thus on you. And the interest in the person, in death, is a sort of comforting memorial. The sentiment motivating the work is interesting and sadly unique.

A wonderful collection of poems

Can we give Maggie Nelson a Nobel Prize? Pleeeease?

The only problem with her books is that I never know where to place them in my bookcase. Is it poetry? Is it prose? Is it a biography?