Poetry is incredibly subjective and it’s the reason I love it so much. Myles poetry is incredibly personal and the subjects are heavy, I am not sure this poetry would be a great foray into the genre and sometimes the structure of the poetry left me confused and at times disconnected me. That’s not to say Myles isn’t incredibly talented because they are and like much poetry, there’s connection with some poems and to others not. I’m excited to see what other works Myles produces!

A skilled writer, Myles offers an eclectic, honest collection of prose poetry regarding aspects of her life and her take on contemporary topics.

This was a challenging book to read. It was by first book by Myles and I am not sure if their work is always so political and personal. There are poetry collections that I devour, that make me lose myself in the power of their words, but this one I had to take in piecemeal; walking away on many occasions to ponder the ideas the poet had set to paper.

I couldn't really get into this book. Maybe it was the genre—I'm not an avid poetry reader but I was interested in trying to read some Poetry—or maybe it was the lack of punctuations that made me drop the book.

Since I didn't read all of it, I haven't and won't be leaving a review on any of the other websites.

I enjoyed reading this collection, but reading it was a challenge at times with how the poems themselves are written. Myles definitely has some incredible poems in here, but with how it was all laid out it took a while and often required re-reading a few lines to see where and how sentences ended.

I truly loved reading some of these poems and would suggest it to anyone who is into poetry.

"You didn't know I
had so
much inside
me buckets
of malice"

Myles always presents reader with hulking works, and it's a delight because reading the poems is at once difficult and addictive. The mind at work here is subtle and astute while the language pushes readers into thought while reveling in the visceral moment

I'm not a regular poetry reader, I often end up putting down poetry collections or speeding through almost to get it over with. With Evolution, I did none of that. Myles's poetry is obscure, hiding in itself, never completing a sentence but also has this rhythm that makes reading a delight. It's ok, it seems, to not pause and parse out meaning because this is Myles, this is her approach to life, bits and pieces of beauty and pain but also time marches on and there are more feelings to have. I really enjoyed the variety of poetic styles-there's prose on one page, one liners on the next.

Evolution was my first exposure to the poetry of Eileen Myles. I first started hearing about Myles in the writings of Maggie Nelson and I'm glad I finally sat down, picked up this book, and got down to business. At a superficial level, my first impression of Myles' poetry was that it was following in the path of Bukowski, which is a common reference. But that doesn't do justice to the poetry in Evolution or to Myles' art. Yes, many of the poems are conversational and raw, but they are also more directed, more constrained. These poems are open, honest, emotional and relevant to the content of the current. They are deep without being complicated. They are political but not to the point of losing the relevance of the rest of life (admittedly, the opening essay got close but just in time cuts back to the dance of the Shakers. It was pushing the edge but didn't step off).

The poems, to me, reflect the chaotic mingling of the mundane patterns of life with the ubiquitous structures of society and culture that constrain us to the point of polluting our moments (Dear Adam, for example). Overall a powerful and enjoyable mix of poetry and social commentary. I will be reading more.

Evolution

by Eileen Myles

Grove Atlantic

Grove Press

Poetry

Pub Date 11 Sep 2018

I am reviewing Evolution through Grove Press and Netgalley:

In her first publication since 2011’s Snowflake/Different Street and following her critically acclaimed collection Afterglow (A Dog’s Memoir) is the eminent and critically acclaimed writer on the forefront of American Literature.

I give Evolution three out of five stars!

Happy Reading

My Thoughts: In Evolution we see a lot of the poet, Eileen Myles, in her work. I really enjoyed everything Evolution had to offer, the poetry is both emotional and refreshing - Myles shows us all that poetry can be.

Poetry makes us feel, and in Evolution we are offered a range of emotions: love, loss, desire, regret, and at times loneliness. Throughout the book we are given an insight into the woman herself - we learn about her relationship with her Mother, her feeling of loss, her love, and an almost distant feeling of desire.

Evolution features a range of styles from the author. There are long text based poems such as 'Acceptance Speech,' and smaller poems such as 'Paradise' which encapsulate a moment or idea. The majority of the poems are ones which feature shorter sentences, broken up with lines breaks. The style gives the poems not only a punchier feel but an interesting sense of rhythm.

The poems are great to read on the page but some of them ache to be recited. The longer poems such as 'Acceptance Speech' (a favourite of mine) and shorter more emotionally charged poems such as 'For You,' fill me with the need to hear them. Hell, even the opening of the book (surely too poetic to only be an introduction?!) is one I would gladly listen to, have the story told to me. The book is filled with many poems that I want to hear - I need to hear the emotion, the cadence, the poetry of the verse.

Best Bits: The below are some of my favourite poems from the book. I enjoyed them all, but these are the ones that stood out and grabbed me.

'our happiness' - pg 52.
'for you' - pg 69.
'Sharing Fall' - pg 84.
'August 23' - pg 106.
'Acceptance Speech' - pg 113.
'Today' - pg 144.
'A Little bit' - pg 193.

Favourite Quote:

'I lost
my loss
in a collective
of loss'

The above is the first four lines of the poem 'Sharing Fall.' I read those lines a number of times, they just stuck with me. The cadence. The repetition. The loss. <3

Recommendations: I really enjoyed reading Evolution and would recommend everyone giving, if not this book, then some of Myles poetry a go.

If you're new to poetry: Challenge yourself with her poetry, open yourself up to the experience, and see what you feel.

For the practiced poets: You're missing out if you haven't read Myles work... Why are you still here? You should be reading this book!

Much of the poetry felt like free stream-of-consciousness ramblings rather than anything crafted or worthwhile to me. Wasn't my style of poetry, not for me.

This book feels like listening to a rambling train of thought that I cannot follow. The style that the poems are written in feels difficult to read.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An intriguing collection of poems that will take more than one reading or a deal of pondering over each poem. The short lines do not complete a thought and the lack of punctuation leaves the reader to find structure in the lines and create meaning between the words. I am reminded of the first time I read Gertrude Stein's Tiny Buttons.

Available September 21, 2018

Eileen is the poet laureate for our times. she shifts seamlessly beween seemingly unrelated topics and brings the disparate phrases around full circle to become profound statements on existence. this book does not disappoint, as myles' passion and humor are artfully woven through the poems and essays.