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And Yet: Poems
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Poetry (2022)The second full length poetry collection from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Woman.
Kate Baer shot into the literary stratosphere with the publication of her debut poetry collection, What Kind of Woman, which became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller.
Kate's second full-length book of traditional poetry, And Yet, dives deeper into the themes that are the hallmarks of her writing: motherhood, friendship, love, and loss. Taken together, these poems demonstrate the remarkable evolution of a writer and an artist working at the height of her craft, pushing herself and her poetry in a beautiful and impressive way.
Intimate, evocative, and bold, Kate's beguiling poetry firmly positions her in the company of Dorianne Laux, Mary Oliver, Maggie Nelson, and other great female poets of our time.
Kate Baer shot into the literary stratosphere with the publication of her debut poetry collection, What Kind of Woman, which became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller.
Kate's second full-length book of traditional poetry, And Yet, dives deeper into the themes that are the hallmarks of her writing: motherhood, friendship, love, and loss. Taken together, these poems demonstrate the remarkable evolution of a writer and an artist working at the height of her craft, pushing herself and her poetry in a beautiful and impressive way.
Intimate, evocative, and bold, Kate's beguiling poetry firmly positions her in the company of Dorianne Laux, Mary Oliver, Maggie Nelson, and other great female poets of our time.
112 pages, Paperback
First published November 10, 2022
About the author
Kate Baer
4 books1,379 followersKate Baer is the 3x New York Times bestselling author of What Kind Of Woman, I Hope This Finds You Well, & And Yet. Her work has also been published in The New Yorker, Literary Hub, Huffington Post and The New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 898 reviews
April 1, 2022
The author seems to go completely off the rails in this one. Love to see it. 10/10
November 10, 2022
Life comes at you fast. There never seems to be enough time in the day for all the joys and sorrows it may bring, enough time for all the work, reading, laughter or quality time with loved one. ‘If only we could put the world on hold,’ Kate Baer muses in her third collection of poetry, And Yet, and demonstrates how, perhaps, we can very well do so through poetry. Poetry puts a moment on pause and allows you to open it up, unpack the viscera of emotions and examine the bones of living, and across this volume we watch Baer chronicle many moments worth pausing on. The poems here gaze inwards to capture Baer’s self-reflections, particularly on motherhood and marriage, as well as outward to discuss topics like misogyny and the COVID pandemic. It's a bit light and could certainly go deeper, but the quick flashes of recognizable emotions seem to be the aim and in that it succeeds. Through the highs and lows, Baer asks us ‘to witness one / life’s miserable devastation and / see her reach, instead, for joy,’ and delivers it all in succinct poetry full of humor and wit.
Idea
I will enjoy this life. I will open it
like a peach in season, suck the juice
from every finger, run my tongue over
my chin. I will not worry about clichés
or uninvited guests peering in my windows.
I will love and be loved. Save and be saved
a thousand times. I will let the want into
my body, bless the heat under my skin.
My life, I will not waste it. I will enjoy this life.
This is a short collection and many of the poems are quite short, but they also pack a lot of emotion within them. Baer became an instant hit with her 2020 debut, What Kind of Woman, full of strong feminist themes and empowering reflections that were wonderfully succinct and quotable, making them ideal posts to be shared and reshared on social media as a very difficult year was coming to a close. Her honest examinations of womanhood and criticisms of misogyny in her book of poems as well as her online blog received a lot of pushback and toxic responses which, in the mindset of the maxim about when life hands you lemons, she creatively transformed into poetic lemonade through erasure poems or poetic retellings of these emails in her second collection I Hope This Finds You Well. Here we return to more to the style of her first collection, though poems such as Reasons to Log Off that discusses the cruelty of strangers on the internet keeps her second book always close to mind as well. The poems vary across settings and scenarios like putting kids to bed, hating a move to a new home, waiting in a COVID testing facility, or simply feeling the exhaustion of life. But not everything is harsh examinations or poems about grief. Baer has a fun sense of humor, such as poems like ‘Writing Poems High/On Twitter’, or exploring alternative words to make the slang acronym ”Milf” (ending on ‘Mother I’d like to free’) or even that her headstone should one day read ‘Honestly just a really good time.’ There is a wonderful balance of emotions that keep this collection feeling light and playful amidst all the grief.
‘How foolish we are / to believe what we love won’t end.’
Baer gives a lot of space for introspection here, or, as she puts it. to ‘walk down to the river of myself / and see what I have always known.’ These poems are often easy to identify with or laugh with, which makes them quite catching. ‘Where are the poems / about the grief of two ordinary people / who fell in love?’ she asks, opting to write them herself with poetry about ordinary and everyday life carrying both joy and grief. There are close-ups of marriage, not shirking away from flaws and failures while still capturing moments of coziness and peace, and plenty of thoughts on parenthood wondering what we can actually pass along to children when we, as adults, are caught in the mess of a society we often make messier. But most of all, Baer captures moments when the walls are down and the armor is off and we can’t do anything but face ourselves.
‘You ask me my intentions
but darling, I have none.
I only have desire.’
This is a quick and fun collection that will certainly please fans and likely attract newcomers as these poems seem destined for social media feeds much like the first collection. Baer naturally gets comparisons to Rupi Kaur, and does feel like a more matured and formal few steps further than the insta-poetry scene that was quite popular a few years ago while still having a similar shareability. They can seem a bit slight, but the accessibility is nice and welcoming, and anyone can find something to identify with in these pages. And Yet reminds us to pause on moments and drink deeply from them to get the most out of life.
3.5/5
If You Were to Ask for the Secret to a Happy Marriage
after Leah Naomi Green
I would tell you how the fire beetle mates
only when the chaparral is burning.
How the prologue changes when you
write the second act. How even when
a room is backlit by the joy of children,
by the brilliance of a fantasy,
there will always be a death
dressed as a question, waiting alone
in that godforsaken dark.
Idea
I will enjoy this life. I will open it
like a peach in season, suck the juice
from every finger, run my tongue over
my chin. I will not worry about clichés
or uninvited guests peering in my windows.
I will love and be loved. Save and be saved
a thousand times. I will let the want into
my body, bless the heat under my skin.
My life, I will not waste it. I will enjoy this life.
This is a short collection and many of the poems are quite short, but they also pack a lot of emotion within them. Baer became an instant hit with her 2020 debut, What Kind of Woman, full of strong feminist themes and empowering reflections that were wonderfully succinct and quotable, making them ideal posts to be shared and reshared on social media as a very difficult year was coming to a close. Her honest examinations of womanhood and criticisms of misogyny in her book of poems as well as her online blog received a lot of pushback and toxic responses which, in the mindset of the maxim about when life hands you lemons, she creatively transformed into poetic lemonade through erasure poems or poetic retellings of these emails in her second collection I Hope This Finds You Well. Here we return to more to the style of her first collection, though poems such as Reasons to Log Off that discusses the cruelty of strangers on the internet keeps her second book always close to mind as well. The poems vary across settings and scenarios like putting kids to bed, hating a move to a new home, waiting in a COVID testing facility, or simply feeling the exhaustion of life. But not everything is harsh examinations or poems about grief. Baer has a fun sense of humor, such as poems like ‘Writing Poems High/On Twitter’, or exploring alternative words to make the slang acronym ”Milf” (ending on ‘Mother I’d like to free’) or even that her headstone should one day read ‘Honestly just a really good time.’ There is a wonderful balance of emotions that keep this collection feeling light and playful amidst all the grief.
‘How foolish we are / to believe what we love won’t end.’
Baer gives a lot of space for introspection here, or, as she puts it. to ‘walk down to the river of myself / and see what I have always known.’ These poems are often easy to identify with or laugh with, which makes them quite catching. ‘Where are the poems / about the grief of two ordinary people / who fell in love?’ she asks, opting to write them herself with poetry about ordinary and everyday life carrying both joy and grief. There are close-ups of marriage, not shirking away from flaws and failures while still capturing moments of coziness and peace, and plenty of thoughts on parenthood wondering what we can actually pass along to children when we, as adults, are caught in the mess of a society we often make messier. But most of all, Baer captures moments when the walls are down and the armor is off and we can’t do anything but face ourselves.
‘You ask me my intentions
but darling, I have none.
I only have desire.’
This is a quick and fun collection that will certainly please fans and likely attract newcomers as these poems seem destined for social media feeds much like the first collection. Baer naturally gets comparisons to Rupi Kaur, and does feel like a more matured and formal few steps further than the insta-poetry scene that was quite popular a few years ago while still having a similar shareability. They can seem a bit slight, but the accessibility is nice and welcoming, and anyone can find something to identify with in these pages. And Yet reminds us to pause on moments and drink deeply from them to get the most out of life.
3.5/5
If You Were to Ask for the Secret to a Happy Marriage
after Leah Naomi Green
I would tell you how the fire beetle mates
only when the chaparral is burning.
How the prologue changes when you
write the second act. How even when
a room is backlit by the joy of children,
by the brilliance of a fantasy,
there will always be a death
dressed as a question, waiting alone
in that godforsaken dark.
May 15, 2022
All I want is a life with more poems from Kate Baer.
And Yet hits me right where I want it to. It is an inside joke among women. It is all of my secret snide smiles at my family as I sit on the couch reading.
Advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Publication date: November 8, 2022.
And Yet hits me right where I want it to. It is an inside joke among women. It is all of my secret snide smiles at my family as I sit on the couch reading.
Advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Publication date: November 8, 2022.
November 26, 2022
Repeating the same sentence a couple of times doesn't make it poetry.
Repeating the same sentence a couple of times doesn't make it poetry.
Repeating the same sentence a couple of times doesn't make it poetry.
Repeating the same sentence a couple of times doesn't make it poetry.
Repeating the same sentence a couple of times doesn't make it poetry.
November 2, 2022
I wish Kate Baer would dig a little deeper!! Most of these poems are very generic and cliched. A couple steps above insta-poetry but nothing profound or memorable. It feels like they got lost in the goal of being relatable, so the poems are so generic they could apply to almost anyone, which makes them too boring. I can tell the intention and messages are powerful and important to the poet, but they could be SO much better with more personal detail and poetic techniques. Just a bummer! (I did like “beach body”) And thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
October 30, 2022
Loved this collection of contemporary poetry written by a wife, mom, and modern woman. The poems are genuine and approachable. I read a few each day so that I could sit with each one for a spell. Favorites were "Bliss" and "Reasons to Log Off."
June 16, 2022
I am so thankful to both Harper Perennial and Kate Baer for sending me this ARC version of And Yet which details a brutally and bitterly-put retelling of life and experiences of both the #MeToo Movement, corrupt government officials, and the Global Pandemic that struck so many with loss and fear. This beautiful collection is set to hit shelves on September 13, 2022 and I can't wait for more of my friends to pick it up, digest it, and feel every emotion that I encountered while ogling through its pages.
January 20, 2023
Kate Baer is among a rare group of contemporary poets who have accomplished the seemingly impossible: becoming best-sellers with their books of poetry. Having not read her previous two highly-praised and widely-loved collections, I was curious about Baer, and so I eagerly anticipated experiencing her work in And Yet.
Most of the pieces compiled in this volume are observant and playful with a mild edge of wit, cynicism, and even contempt for life’s unfair difficulties and its unchecked injustices. Baer’s topics of exploration primarily concern motherhood, marriage, friendship, feminism, and a few that express her social consciousness. For a collection with nearly 100 poems in it, I felt as though too many of them came off as trivial in their musings.
I wanted more curious and insightful pieces like “Young Mother” which enables me to reflect on the hardships and challenges of motherhood. I wanted more clever and inventive pieces like “Reasons to Log Off” which nicely captures the oftentimes mania and absurdity of social media. I wanted more conscientious pieces like “Awake” (perhaps the best piece in the book) which addresses police brutality and gun violence. Besides these three, however, I didn’t mark many others as overly memorable. There’s a lot of decent poems, but not enough great ones. Many are short, even trite, and without much depth or substance.
The description for And Yet mentions Baer “in the company” of such renowned female poets as Mary Oliver and Dorianne Laux. I think that’s a bit of hyperbole. If you want to read profound and euphoric verses, then do indeed read the incomparable Mary Oliver. Or I suggest reading other incomparable poets such as Sharon Olds, Joy Harjo, and Ada Limón. For me, Baer’s work is lightweight. I just did not hear the echoes of a great poet in And Yet.
Most of the pieces compiled in this volume are observant and playful with a mild edge of wit, cynicism, and even contempt for life’s unfair difficulties and its unchecked injustices. Baer’s topics of exploration primarily concern motherhood, marriage, friendship, feminism, and a few that express her social consciousness. For a collection with nearly 100 poems in it, I felt as though too many of them came off as trivial in their musings.
I wanted more curious and insightful pieces like “Young Mother” which enables me to reflect on the hardships and challenges of motherhood. I wanted more clever and inventive pieces like “Reasons to Log Off” which nicely captures the oftentimes mania and absurdity of social media. I wanted more conscientious pieces like “Awake” (perhaps the best piece in the book) which addresses police brutality and gun violence. Besides these three, however, I didn’t mark many others as overly memorable. There’s a lot of decent poems, but not enough great ones. Many are short, even trite, and without much depth or substance.
The description for And Yet mentions Baer “in the company” of such renowned female poets as Mary Oliver and Dorianne Laux. I think that’s a bit of hyperbole. If you want to read profound and euphoric verses, then do indeed read the incomparable Mary Oliver. Or I suggest reading other incomparable poets such as Sharon Olds, Joy Harjo, and Ada Limón. For me, Baer’s work is lightweight. I just did not hear the echoes of a great poet in And Yet.
June 22, 2022
4.5 stars
back on the train of review catch up in the form of mini reviews, this time with kate baer’s latest collection of poems ‘and yet’.
as a woman, i related to this collection ~deeply~. while most poems are short in length, they pack a punch, discussion themes such as motherhood and vulnerability and what it means to show up for yourself when you’re expected to do so much for those around you as a caretaker. it’s honest & emotional & i think you just gotta read this one for yourself!
back on the train of review catch up in the form of mini reviews, this time with kate baer’s latest collection of poems ‘and yet’.
as a woman, i related to this collection ~deeply~. while most poems are short in length, they pack a punch, discussion themes such as motherhood and vulnerability and what it means to show up for yourself when you’re expected to do so much for those around you as a caretaker. it’s honest & emotional & i think you just gotta read this one for yourself!
November 13, 2022
The accuracy of some of these… shit. That hit.
April 6, 2023
And Yet: Poems by Kate Baer is a stunning collection of poems that captures the complexities of womanhood with honesty, vulnerability, and humor. Baer's writing style is straightforward, yet powerful, and each poem is a perfect snapshot of a particular moment or emotion.
The poems in this collection cover a wide range of topics, from motherhood and marriage to body image and self-worth. Baer's ability to explore these subjects with such depth and nuance is truly impressive. Her words are both relatable and inspiring, and they have the power to resonate with readers of all backgrounds. One of the most remarkable things about this collection is the way Baer uses her words to create a sense of community. Her poems remind us that we are not alone in our struggles and that there is strength in vulnerability. The honesty with which she writes is truly refreshing, and it is a reminder that it is okay to not have it all figured out.
Overall, And Yet: Poems by Kate Baer is a must-read for anyone who appreciates beautiful and thought-provoking poetry. Baer's words are sure to touch your heart and leave you feeling inspired and empowered. This collection is a true testament to the power of poetry and the importance of sharing our stories with one another.
The poems in this collection cover a wide range of topics, from motherhood and marriage to body image and self-worth. Baer's ability to explore these subjects with such depth and nuance is truly impressive. Her words are both relatable and inspiring, and they have the power to resonate with readers of all backgrounds. One of the most remarkable things about this collection is the way Baer uses her words to create a sense of community. Her poems remind us that we are not alone in our struggles and that there is strength in vulnerability. The honesty with which she writes is truly refreshing, and it is a reminder that it is okay to not have it all figured out.
Overall, And Yet: Poems by Kate Baer is a must-read for anyone who appreciates beautiful and thought-provoking poetry. Baer's words are sure to touch your heart and leave you feeling inspired and empowered. This collection is a true testament to the power of poetry and the importance of sharing our stories with one another.
April 4, 2023
no I did not / will not / could not know what it is to be a good mother when mother is already heavy enough
I absolutely adored this collection of poems by Kate Baer! And Yet is Kate Baer's second full-length collection of poetry. A feminist reflection on motherhood and gender, this collection was deeply comforting and put words to so much of what it is to be a mother in this moment in time.
Thanks so much to Kate Baer and Harper Perennial for this ARC through NetGalley! And Yet is available now.
I absolutely adored this collection of poems by Kate Baer! And Yet is Kate Baer's second full-length collection of poetry. A feminist reflection on motherhood and gender, this collection was deeply comforting and put words to so much of what it is to be a mother in this moment in time.
Thanks so much to Kate Baer and Harper Perennial for this ARC through NetGalley! And Yet is available now.
May 22, 2022
This book. Kate Baer’s first book of poems shook me. This one spoke straight to my soul. I received an advanced copy (thanks to Netgalley) and the timing of reading this couldn’t have been more perfect. A couple of my favorites are Halfway There, End of the World, and What Are We Doing Here?.
Thanks for these words, Kate. They mean more than you could know.
Thanks for these words, Kate. They mean more than you could know.
September 12, 2022
This is Kate Baer’s best and most expansive work yet. She isn’t afraid to be frank about the messy and the beautiful, the mundane and the profound. Her unapologetic feminism coupled with her gentle candor on motherhood, love, and loss make for a read that will be resonating with me long after I turned the last page.
August 13, 2023
This makes me want to pick up the first collection from this author. Many of the poems are about the realities of motherhood and long-terms relationships, including during the pandemic. They were incredibly relatable and puts into words things that we don't always talk about. Really recommend this for other parents. I received an audio review copy from Libro. FM, all opinions are my own.
November 15, 2022
Got this based on a rec from an employee at a book shop that I like. I think if I had looked into it further I would have known this was not for me. But the first 5-10 poems all really pulled me in, so maybe not. There are a few poems in this collection that I really liked after this first reading, but I think most of them won’t be for me for a while, if ever. There is a large focus on being a wife and a mother, and as I am neither, I did not get much from those. A lot of the other poems focus on the shit world we live in these days, and while I totally get that these might be comforting and enjoyed by many, I think I want my poetry to make me feel better.
So all in all, I am sure these are great for many people and I am not one of them.
So all in all, I am sure these are great for many people and I am not one of them.
July 13, 2022
I wish I could give this 6 or even 7 stars. Kate Baer's poetry is amazingly poignant while not always being hard hitting. Some poems are light and lovely while others hit right to the current feelings a lot of us are having with our country. I received an advanced copy from a Goodreads giveaway but I will buy another when it comes out to support this poet. She has become an absolute favorite of mine.
April 6, 2023
Not all of this spoke to me but the parts that did really did, which seems to be my experience with Kate Baer overall. Would suggest picking this one up.
January 15, 2023
Another lovely collection from Kate Baer! As with any book of poetry, some works are stronger than others, but almost everything in here is solid, and when something hits, it REALLY hits. Whew!
September 30, 2023
I couldn’t bring myself to pack it during the move. dnf.
November 15, 2022
I read poetry in Highschool and didn’t think it was for me…
AND YET I absolutely devoured Kate Baer’s latest poetry collection. I planned to read a poem a day for Nonfiction November but I couldn’t help but binging these poems in one hour.
Her musings on womanhood, being a mother, and wry social commentary were spot on. Kate narrated the audiobook and I loved having her speak words into my life that resonated so deeply.
Her words found me as I was trying to make dinner while wearing a fussy baby during witching hour. It was in this very moment that I heard the words, “I wear him like a spare appendage” as Kate reflected on life with her newborn son. I felt so seen. She captures the beauty and exhaustion of this season so perfectly.
These words are special, and poignant, and oh so timely. Even if poetry isn’t your thing, I’d encourage you to give AND YET a try.
RATING: 5/5
PUB DATE: November 8, 2022
AND YET I absolutely devoured Kate Baer’s latest poetry collection. I planned to read a poem a day for Nonfiction November but I couldn’t help but binging these poems in one hour.
Her musings on womanhood, being a mother, and wry social commentary were spot on. Kate narrated the audiobook and I loved having her speak words into my life that resonated so deeply.
Her words found me as I was trying to make dinner while wearing a fussy baby during witching hour. It was in this very moment that I heard the words, “I wear him like a spare appendage” as Kate reflected on life with her newborn son. I felt so seen. She captures the beauty and exhaustion of this season so perfectly.
These words are special, and poignant, and oh so timely. Even if poetry isn’t your thing, I’d encourage you to give AND YET a try.
RATING: 5/5
PUB DATE: November 8, 2022
August 24, 2022
Thank you to Goodreads and HarperCollins for sending over this ARC of Kate Baer's new poetry collection! I was not familiar with her work before reading this book but really liked the cover! The contents, however, left much to be desired. I read a lot of positive reviews for this book but I would not recommend it. I (a 24 year-old woman who does not want to have children) am not the target demographic for these poems. That definitely contributed to my lack of enjoyment when reading them, but there are poems about motherhood that I do understand on a universal level. These are not them.
There are many good authors with bad editors. The hallmark of these relationships are redundancy, lengthy and meandering sentences, and scenes that don't contribute to the overall propulsion of a story. This book is the opposite of that: a bad author with a good editor. The weird structures and forms of some of her poems (weird not as in strange but rather annoying) are cleaned and succinctly edited for clarity and injected with a drop of emotion. They're still boring and the writing isn't anything special, but whoever edited them turned these words from spliced and enjambed diary entries (and I mean planner-diary as well as journal-diary) into something that was readable at all. It's very hashtag this, excerpt that, rounded off with a boring play on words. This is just millennial poetry and it's very cringe. As a true Zillennial, I am young enough that the idea of parents fucking on a kitchen counter makes me physically ill but old enough that if I did it, it would be hot and not awkward.
The style of these poems gave me flashbacks into writing workshops that didn't require an application. There was always a sociology major writing about their home life in a very boring way. Frequent mention of the pandemic felt simultaneously too of-this-moment and already dated. She crossed out references to COVID and the pandemic a few times, like she was trying not to talk about it but was talking about it anyway. This bored and frustrated me. She could have committed to talking about it and it wouldn't have bothered me half as much as this noncommittal dancing around it.
The religious allusions drove me kind of crazy. I couldn't tell if the writer was religious now or if she is a "cool girl" who left the church. Either way, Baer knows how to connect anything to Christianity and it seems like her only frame of reference for art, making it the only thing she knows how to "subvert." What she doesn't know is that if you talk about Jesus in this context, people might read it as woke Evangelism.
The author seems like she's embodying one of my least favorite brands of young motherhood. These poems read like body-positive poems for mothers experiencing postpartum depression. And they're too straightforward, seeking cliches in her imagery in order to show that young-mom-poets are just like us! Modern women who love weird mantras and adages that would look natural on welcome mats or the waterproof vinyl stickers that you put on your water bottle or the toungue-in-cheek linings of your gym bag. What isn't natural is watching them masquerade as poetry. I said before that I didn't enjoy this because I'm not a mom and motherhood isn't for me. But, even if I were a young mom who sneaks away from her baby monitor in the middle of the night to drink an entire bottle of rosé in a comically large wineglass, I don't think I would enjoy the degree to which might relate to these obvious cliches. Wouldn't that make me vacuous? Wouldn't I want my pain to feel different from the other soccer moms? Am I not #Adulting better than these other bitches on my cul-de-sac? Fourth wave feminism is all about being a selfish woman, anyway!
I'll end on this: don't ever say Sally Rooney's name in vain, and especially don't use it as clickbait.
There are many good authors with bad editors. The hallmark of these relationships are redundancy, lengthy and meandering sentences, and scenes that don't contribute to the overall propulsion of a story. This book is the opposite of that: a bad author with a good editor. The weird structures and forms of some of her poems (weird not as in strange but rather annoying) are cleaned and succinctly edited for clarity and injected with a drop of emotion. They're still boring and the writing isn't anything special, but whoever edited them turned these words from spliced and enjambed diary entries (and I mean planner-diary as well as journal-diary) into something that was readable at all. It's very hashtag this, excerpt that, rounded off with a boring play on words. This is just millennial poetry and it's very cringe. As a true Zillennial, I am young enough that the idea of parents fucking on a kitchen counter makes me physically ill but old enough that if I did it, it would be hot and not awkward.
The style of these poems gave me flashbacks into writing workshops that didn't require an application. There was always a sociology major writing about their home life in a very boring way. Frequent mention of the pandemic felt simultaneously too of-this-moment and already dated. She crossed out references to COVID and the pandemic a few times, like she was trying not to talk about it but was talking about it anyway. This bored and frustrated me. She could have committed to talking about it and it wouldn't have bothered me half as much as this noncommittal dancing around it.
The religious allusions drove me kind of crazy. I couldn't tell if the writer was religious now or if she is a "cool girl" who left the church. Either way, Baer knows how to connect anything to Christianity and it seems like her only frame of reference for art, making it the only thing she knows how to "subvert." What she doesn't know is that if you talk about Jesus in this context, people might read it as woke Evangelism.
The author seems like she's embodying one of my least favorite brands of young motherhood. These poems read like body-positive poems for mothers experiencing postpartum depression. And they're too straightforward, seeking cliches in her imagery in order to show that young-mom-poets are just like us! Modern women who love weird mantras and adages that would look natural on welcome mats or the waterproof vinyl stickers that you put on your water bottle or the toungue-in-cheek linings of your gym bag. What isn't natural is watching them masquerade as poetry. I said before that I didn't enjoy this because I'm not a mom and motherhood isn't for me. But, even if I were a young mom who sneaks away from her baby monitor in the middle of the night to drink an entire bottle of rosé in a comically large wineglass, I don't think I would enjoy the degree to which might relate to these obvious cliches. Wouldn't that make me vacuous? Wouldn't I want my pain to feel different from the other soccer moms? Am I not #Adulting better than these other bitches on my cul-de-sac? Fourth wave feminism is all about being a selfish woman, anyway!
I'll end on this: don't ever say Sally Rooney's name in vain, and especially don't use it as clickbait.
August 3, 2022
I admit, when an author hits a bestseller list, I'm a little leery of whether or not I myself will love it. I'm not sure if that's the academic in me speaking, but there are some names who appear on those bestseller lists as good at "poetry," but you look at some of the stuff, and it's really just fortune cookie Instagram nonsense.
To be clear: That Is Not What This Book Is. At All.
This book is, in fact, so good, I went and ordered the New York Times bestselling book because I knew I would love it as much as this one. This book is so good that I ended up sending two of its poems to my not-poetry-reading husband (I mean, he'll read mine, and then he'll say, "That's nice" and look at me like, I love you and I don't know what else to say to you right now but good job getting it in a journal you claim is a good one but I have no barometer to agree with you on).
Baer has somehow managed to write completely readable stuff that feels so completely true but also really hits you in the solar plexus as good stuff. Yes, that's exactly it, and thank you for writing that because I feel like you wrote it exactly for me, except I'm pretty sure a bajillion other people will get it too. We all have a solar plexus (I think).
Thank you, Kate Baer, for whatever it is that allows you to see the things and then write about them in these just-right sized poems without a lot of pomp and circumstance but also with just the right amount of craft. And thank you, Kate Baer, for writing a book that somehow also doesn't have duds. So many really good poetry collections have a handful of stellar poems and some pretty good ones and a handful of duds, but these were all above the mark.
I loved this book and when it comes out (on my birthday!), I will get myself a copy so it can live with me, but in the meantime, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
To be clear: That Is Not What This Book Is. At All.
This book is, in fact, so good, I went and ordered the New York Times bestselling book because I knew I would love it as much as this one. This book is so good that I ended up sending two of its poems to my not-poetry-reading husband (I mean, he'll read mine, and then he'll say, "That's nice" and look at me like, I love you and I don't know what else to say to you right now but good job getting it in a journal you claim is a good one but I have no barometer to agree with you on).
Baer has somehow managed to write completely readable stuff that feels so completely true but also really hits you in the solar plexus as good stuff. Yes, that's exactly it, and thank you for writing that because I feel like you wrote it exactly for me, except I'm pretty sure a bajillion other people will get it too. We all have a solar plexus (I think).
Thank you, Kate Baer, for whatever it is that allows you to see the things and then write about them in these just-right sized poems without a lot of pomp and circumstance but also with just the right amount of craft. And thank you, Kate Baer, for writing a book that somehow also doesn't have duds. So many really good poetry collections have a handful of stellar poems and some pretty good ones and a handful of duds, but these were all above the mark.
I loved this book and when it comes out (on my birthday!), I will get myself a copy so it can live with me, but in the meantime, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2022
Now look. Kate Baer is the only poet I read, but damn I love this woman. Almost makes me want to be a poet. What a beautiful way to make sense of (or try to, at least) the world.
I feel like a lot of these poems were more deep and required more from me to understand. Some I didn’t understand. But others I was screenshotting and bookmarking so I never ever lose them. And “The Garden of Eden: Updated Jacket Copy for the Modern World” is my favorite thing I’ve read in years. Why am I laughing so hard?
We love a woman who can speak so eloquently about the complexity of god, motherhood, womanhood, the patriarchy, and humanity. MORE POEMS NOW!
Thanks to net galley for the advanced copy. I’ll be purchasing my own when it comes out, to go with the other two (which are perfection).
I feel like a lot of these poems were more deep and required more from me to understand. Some I didn’t understand. But others I was screenshotting and bookmarking so I never ever lose them. And “The Garden of Eden: Updated Jacket Copy for the Modern World” is my favorite thing I’ve read in years. Why am I laughing so hard?
We love a woman who can speak so eloquently about the complexity of god, motherhood, womanhood, the patriarchy, and humanity. MORE POEMS NOW!
Thanks to net galley for the advanced copy. I’ll be purchasing my own when it comes out, to go with the other two (which are perfection).
March 13, 2023
This collection came highly acclaimed so I was looking forward to diving in and can definitely see the appeal. Personally though, it was just ok for me. Not to say that the book wasn't well-written, but I didn't connect with it as much as I wanted to, which comes as no surprise to me since most of them revolve around motherhood.
There are a few hit pieces here but overall none of the poems stood out enough for me to highlight anything. Nevertheless, I appreciate the sentiments and themes expressed in this book, particularly those about womenhood and gender roles and how sometimes we are just so done.
Thank you to Harper Perennial for the Netgalley ARC.
There are a few hit pieces here but overall none of the poems stood out enough for me to highlight anything. Nevertheless, I appreciate the sentiments and themes expressed in this book, particularly those about womenhood and gender roles and how sometimes we are just so done.
Thank you to Harper Perennial for the Netgalley ARC.
Read
June 9, 2023Very modern.
September 29, 2023
A nice collection about motherhood/womanhood/love/loss. The poet does interesting things with line breaks in this one.
October 1, 2023
Kate Baer’s work steadily declines with each book. Shoulda stopped while you were ahead, queen.
December 20, 2022
3.5 ✨
I enjoyed listening to this poetry collection so so much.
I enjoyed listening to this poetry collection so so much.
November 13, 2022
Maybe 4.5. Thank you to libro.fm ALC influencer program.
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