I waited to read this book because so many people recommended it to me based on the project I was working on— I wanted to build my own boat before it went out to sea. But now feels like a good time to explore this subject— spec. the spacial, racial, sensational misogynies applied to murdered white women, objects in death and many times throughout history characters in and facilitators of the deaths of Black people. I think to explore the fascination with “true crime” we need to explore how white women get what they want and also how that same “power” is actually a form of subjugation and misogyny (liberation would free the perpetrator, e.g) The language of news articles in the gruesome deaths of white women clues us into this fact (it’s what I try to explore in my book and what Nelson explores when she queasily quotes from the Michigan Murders collection). This is what I brought to this collection, after sifting through these thoughts and my emotions also being a child of one of these stories. I think Nelson’s tenuous grasp on Jane as understood through her and her sister is the most compelling part of this book— the case itself falls flatter to me, perhaps because even copping the language of the sensational for reclamation’s sake still imbues the text with sensation. I also wasn’t positive the lineated poems needed to be lineated— the line breaks offered structure but not much tension, music, or pulse. I really enjoyed the way Nelson showed her threads while she was knitting this together. I read it so quickly and know I’ll return to it as I think about this more. Really appreciate this book and also hold Jane in my heart, hope she’s lighting a cigarette on the forever train and reading Marx in endless daylight. 

I read this book so quickly! Great book club pick. I have been iffy on Maggie Nelson in the past, but I really enjoyed her writing style here. Bluets next!

honestly i loved this it’s literally the way i want to write and it was so inspiring and insane and i just love poetry ugh it’s beautiful