I was exquisitely excited when I received this as a early reviewer announcement, and blown out of the water by the solid copy that arrives on my doorsteps. The paper is thick and heavy in a beautiful way that accents how small the poems are, floating in seas of cream paper, and separated in section by gorgeous, dark drawings.

This collaboration was made in the 1970's, and it's only being brought to publication now, but with a theme that goes back as far as 497 BC (when her the ancient Sophoclean tragedy took place), it's easy to see that this collection is timeless. That in it's timelessness, it's accessible to every age of women who will be reading it.

The poems themselves are harsh and haunting as all the experiences Antigone has gone through in the multiples plays and parts to her name. I take great pleasure in calling this my highest poetry favorite for 2014 so far, and am going to enjoy encouraging others to read it as well as gifting off copies when certain times of the year come around.





Early review requested by LibraryThing and Altaire Productions & Publications. ( )

In english, I wasn't able to fully understand the meaning of all words and (more important) all sentences. The book is anyway well written but too "unclear", blocked, saying something without saying it in a clear way. Which is not the best for my poor english. Very good cover anyway, which clearly states the content of the book. And very good characters, ideal for poems.
Sorry for my english, I can't rate it better..... ( )

We live our lives
The instant between life and death
To touch death always,
That is the sun.

First I read the book straight through. Then, I decided to read up on Antigone and learned that she was the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. Then, I read the poems to see if I could read into them the tragic life of Antigone. I can't say I did, but still some of the poems are really beautiful and poignant while others didn't stir the same emotion for me.

Marie Slaight wrote these poems in the 70s and artist Terrance Tasker has contributed with drawings. It’s a thing book, only around 90 pages and every poem has its own page, and I love the paper in this book. Just the feeling of turning the pages and feeling the thick paper between your fingers actually makes the reading experience a bit better. The drawings weren’t really my cup of tea and I have to admit that the front cover of the book isn’t something I find appealing. But I still find the book really nice to browse and many of the poems are intriguing

...gods speak to the wind and winds whip through me...

It’s a lovely book, and if you get a chance to read it; take it!

3.5 stars

I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review! ( )

*ARC provided for honest review*

The Antigone Poems trace a delicate anatomy of desire and loss. The images and text complement each other and drive towards an understanding of the divine. Intended as a retelling of Sophocles’ tragedy, this collection has a delicate subtlety that may, in fact be too subtle. While it is clear from the title that these are designed as a retelling, there are no clear parallels to draw between the work of Sophocles and this collaboration.

The artifact itself is beautiful, gorgeously printed on lovely paper. That said, every single page is blank on the back, with no clear indication of why, and without enforcing or engaging with the text, art, or overall poetics.

There is also a single moment in the text that completely pulled me out of the narrative. Feeling at best like authorial intrusion, and at worst like a confessional, this moment is an entire page of narrative prose in a text otherwise full of minimal free verse dripping with a clean lyricism. It was this, more than anything else that brought this book from 4 stars down to 3. ( )

Inspired by the classic story of Antigone, this stark collection of poetry is both an homage to a story of rebellion and an original exploration of a woman's fiery outrage.

Beautifully bound, holding this slender volume -- 104 pages -- is a treat, and the spare layout gives room to the explosive language Slaight uses.Written between 1972 - 1981, the pieces have a kind of '70s Second-wave feminist feel, but I don't mean that badly. This is the kind of stuff I cut my teeth on in college: violent, unabashed, pagan and passionate. I was reminded of Margaret Atwood, Barbara Walker, and Sharon Olds.

Whether one is familiar with the story of Antigone or not, the poems are easy to understand and appreciate. Slaight's "heroine" is by turns angry, quiet, and resigned, and the brevity only emphasizes the punch of her sentiments.

In this grey dawn
Only
The debauched loneliness
Of your thigh
Flung
Across mine

My favorite piece has to be the closing, in which our heroine declares: "I wanted everything./To live all lives, all deaths, encompass all women." I can empathize with that enormous, dramatic sentiment; the mundane end to that poem is positively bittersweet.

The pieces are punctuated throughout by illustrations from Terrence Tasker. I don't know if they were intentionally created to pair with Slaight's pieces or if Slaight and Tasker decided simply to pair the two, but the haunting images are perfect. They give me the sense of Greek theater, further connecting Slaight's heroine to Antigone.

A lovely, dramatic volume for fans of poetry and those who enjoy classics, as well as anyone who enjoys feminist lit and poetry. ( )