I’m not a big reading of poetry person. I just never have been, but as I’ve been trying to read more nonfiction and things that aren’t my norm (HA! right), when the publisher reached out it was a great opportunity to say yes.*
I do love spoken word poetry and Benaim has millions of views on hers (like Explaining My Depression to My Mother) and found the two the publicist sent to be incredibly beautiful and moving. I’ll probably spend some more time checking out some of her other spoken word because the delivery is perfection.
So, I went in with an open mind and for the most part I enjoyed the collection. However, I think I would’ve enjoyed it infinitely more if it were an audio recording. Benaim’s delivery has a lot of impact in her spoken word and I could definitely find the cadence and feel it in many of her written poems, but I feel like I a lot of them were lost on me because I struggled to find a cadence.
There were, however a couple that stood out as wonderfully poignant or hilarious with my three favorites probably being:
- “July 7” where she talks about not having shaved her private area and understanding the 1970s
- “Ode to Sexting” which was just beautifully written
- “Panic Attack” a mantra/repetition that caught me off guard, but worked
There were many others that piqued my interest, especially those that used design and spacing.
Recommendation: Benaim’s work didn’t really change my mind on written poetry, but that’s on me, not on the author. She writes about experiences that many people think need to be swept under the rug or hidden behind closed doors. I appreciate that she’s still breaking down those barriers and doing it in such a beautiful way.
*I received a copy of I Love You, Call Me Back from the publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.