Rising Venus

Kelly Cherry

Kelly Cherry's fifth book of poetry is a decided step down from her previous work. Flashes of the brilliance that informed earlier collections are still here, but overall, this was something of a disappointment. There are full sections of the book that have a throwaway feel to them, as if the pieces therein were simply dashed off to have something to put into the book, rather than crafted with the usual care and skill. The meter and rhyme are often lost altogether, leading to rather uncomfortable places where rhyme and free verse mix with all the harmony of gasoline and styrofoam. Yet, still, the book does have its moments; the section of ekphrastic pieces, while some of its poems could have been trimmed (or omitted altogether, in one or two short cases), gives the reader some semblance of what Cherry can accomplish when she's really on her game.

Definitely not a good starting point with Cherry's work; get familiar with her through one of the earlier collections of poetry or one of the books of short stories instead.