Holly Pester's second collection, *Cafés* (Fitzcarraldo, £12.99), opens with a series of prose poems that depict the speaker’s quest to start a café. Through this journey, Pester explores themes of desire and disappointment, showcasing her comedic timing and linguistic skill as she critiques exploitative work conditions and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The speaker navigates the complexities of caring for an aging parent, the thrill and struggles of a love affair, and the challenges of potential parenthood, finding a sense of comfort in the café as a communal space. “Here begins inspiration, here begins drama,” she notes, representing the chaos of life and artistry in her reflection on daily experiences.
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*The Acrobat* by Wisława Szymborska, translated by Stanisław Barańczak and Clare Cavanagh (Faber, £12.99), offers a concise selection of Szymborska's intimate poetry that delves into themes of endurance amid the turbulence of 20th-century Poland. The collection vividly reflects the aftermath of war, capturing both the violence and the resilience of everyday life. Szymborska reminds readers, “After every war / somebody has to tidy up,” highlighting the often-overlooked recovery from conflict. Her poetry champions the beauty of the ordinary during extraordinary times, culminating in her 1996 Nobel acceptance speech, where she emphasizes the enduring wonder of the world.
In *Volvelle* (Picador, £12.99), Rachael Boast’s fifth collection, she explores selfhood and the navigation of time and space, inspired by a rotating paper chart. The collection begins and ends with poems that reflect on bodily dislocation and transformation, addressing an era of fragmentation. Amid reflections on the “senseless war” and the rapid dissemination of news regarding destruction, Boast emphasizes the importance of community and collaboration with other artists. She articulates a restorative role for poets, suggesting that creativity can mend the fractures in our world through careful attention.
Victoria Chang's *Tree of Knowledge* (Corsair, £16.99) further engages with visual art, responding to works by notable artists like Picasso and Joan Mitchell. The collection confronts personal and historical grief, symbolized by the absence of a eucalyptus tree removed from her street. Chang's poems utilize evocative couplets to delve into the connections between the living and the dead, punctuated by archival photographs of Chinese American life from the 19th and early 20th centuries. A notable long poem recounts the expulsion of 263 Chinese Americans from Eureka, California, in 1885, reflecting Chang's evolving understanding of history and identity.
*Talk a Blue Streak* by Lila Matsumoto (Monitor, £15) presents a coming-of-age narrative set in 1990s America through episodic prose poems. The speaker, a newcomer to the country, experiences a sense of dislocation and surrealism, likening her surroundings to a “movie set.” Matsumoto plays with language, exploring phrases that evoke cultural unfamiliarity while also interrogating identity formation in relation to the surrounding culture. Through her reflections on the naturalization process, Matsumoto reveals how an outsider's perspective can provide insight into the essence of American life.