Cover Image: Goldenrod

Goldenrod

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Member Reviews

Maggie Smith's writing is relatable and has the perfect balance of being a reminder of who we are and who we can still become while also celebrating the struggles and the joys of the messy "in-between". ⁣I enjoyed this collection so much and look forward to seeing what Smith creates next.

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Goldenrod was my favorite poetry collection of 2021. Smith has found the sweet spot of artistry to accessibility that many of us lay-poetry readers are searching for. The symbolism, themes, and metaphors in these pieces were creative and original. I was captivated by how Smith, with adept word economy, framed common human experiences with such lucid impact. I will be returning to this collection many times.

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Another Maggie Smith book I'll need to own, not just borrow. This slender volume of poems finds tiny moments, memories, reflections, celebrations amid the larger disappointing chaos. I love her work.

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Maggie Smith is an acclaimed poet and as a lover of poetry, I was eager to read her prose. Sadly, this book of poems was not for me. I found it to be dark, disturbing, depressing and foreboding. I don’t have an issue with poems that make me feel sad (I’ve written some myself). I also don’t have a problem with poets delving into serious topics which by nature, can lean toward being dark. Maybe it’s just me but I also like to see at least the tiniest glimpse of hope. Reading Goldenrod did not do that for me. #netgalley #bookreviewer #bookstagrammer #booksandmrdarcy #withhernosestuckinabook❤️📚

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Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. Wow. This collection of poems was stunning and very timely. This is the first collection of Maggie Smith's poems I read, and I am determined to seek the rest of her work after this experience. I love short, poignant poems that heavily draw from nature for their metaphor, and this collection did exactly that.

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There is a clear reason why Maggie Smith’s poem, “Good Bones,” went viral. She writes with tight metaphors and a contemporary, accessible voice. Her claim that Goldenrod is a deliberate choice against the “big poems” like “Good Bones” in favor of smaller, more mundane items is misleading. She draws deep meaning from everyday encounters, making them both accessible and relatable.

Thank you to Maggie Smith, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

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If Mary Oliver had two kids and lived in the suburbs, she might have written poems like this. The language is precise and accessible, the images clear and compelling. They are full of wonder, heartache, and love.

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Maggie Smith has done it again, this time with Goldenrod. I enjoyed her poetry so much that I personally bought a hard copy of Goldenrod to have sitting on my shelf as a reminder of her words.

She's a steadfast author with brilliant things to say.

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I enjoyed the poems in "Goldenrod" by Maggie Smith a lot. They were very personal, and she writes from her heart. Smith incorporates themes of nature, family, motherhood, loss and the current struggles in our country. Her imagery is beautiful. Her poetry is very accessible and genuine, and makes the everyday seem unique and lovely.

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Smith expresses her feelings well but I didn't feel a connection to any of the poems. I actually found them rather depressing and with too much of a political slant to be enjoyable.

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Many thanks to NetGalley and One Signal/Atria Publishing for gifting me a digital copy of Maggie Smith's new poetry collection - 4 stars!

Maggie Smith's poetry collections are the only ones that have ever really spoken to me and not left me thinking I just never got what the author was trying to say. She speaks in real language and sees the beauty and wonder in the every day. This collection focuses on that as well as parenting and the status of the world today. Her previous Keep Moving collection, spoke loudly to me and I find myself continually going back and rereading things. I have bought the book for myself and others. Goldenrod didn't touch me in quite the same way but it's still a wonderful book to make you think and look at things a bit harder.

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I find Maggie Smith among the most accessible of poets to read. Her work references everyday moments - in nature, parenting, and grief, for example - in ways that are moving, often humorous, and sometimes surprising. This latest book will be enjoyed by fans of her previous poetry collections, as well as by the many readers who discovered her via "Keep Moving," which provided comfort and inspiration to many (myself included) during the height of the pandemic. 4 stars from me, with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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Maggie Smith is one of my favorite poets. Her writing is tender and poignant. I never miss her books.

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A solid collection of poems that touched my heart, made me think, and impressed me with Smith's abilities to capture a moment and speak her truth. Read it in one sitting. I highly recommend this offering!

My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/One Signal for allowing me to read an ARC of this collection which is scheduled to be published on 7/27/21.

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These poems were absolutely beautiful. I dogeared almost every single one. Smith has a way with words that reminds me of a cross between Mary Oliver and Kate Baer. If you’re a fan of either I highly recommend this collection. (And if you haven’t read her poem called Good Bones, look it up and read it now. I’ll wait.)

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In the opening poem of her new collection “Goldenrod” Maggie Smith signals to readers we’re expected to think beyond the literal to the metaphorical world inviting us to acknowledge “This Sort of Thing Happens All the Time.” For Smith “this sort of thing” means the ordinary objects and events that spark her poetic imagination: the blue light on a television screen transporting us into the natural world of chirping crickets, for example.

“I see everything / is what it is, exactly, in spite of the words I use,” Smith writes in the title poem, as though to suggest our language, our ways of knowing have little significance in nature. What we call “goldenrod” will be what it is despite our labels. Sometimes we don’t have the words to express our thoughts.

The idea of being what we are and nature being what it is runs throughout the collection, and although not overtly political, the collection, particularly “Animals,” the poem following “Goldenrod,” challenges the previous president’s immigration policies, and Smith likely wrote it in response to one of his utterances: “We have been animals all our lives….But what kind of animal wrenches a screaming baby from its mother?” asks the poet.

Smith’s poetry celebrates our common humanity and responsibility to nature. She offers readers accessible verse in the tradition of Mary Oliver, Billy Collins, Lucille Clifton, and Robert Frost. Smith knows her audience through her popular Twitter profile where she tested ideas for her previous book, “Keep Moving.” Her ability to both critique our world, our country, and her home state Ohio while simultaneously celebrating life will resonate with readers and offer both mentor texts and lively discussions among book clubs and classrooms.

Books respond to cultural movements, historic moments, and significant life events. This is true for “Goldenrod” snd why these poems will resonate with readers and be a collection many return to often to find inspiration and give voice to the turmoil of modern life.

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This book of poems is warm, wonderful, thoughtful. I deeply enjoyed reading and reveling in the words, form, ideas.

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I absolutely LOVED her last collection of poems, Keep moving. This new book of poetry was a most anticipated read for me but I didn't feel it quite lived up to its predecessor. Whereas in the last book I probably could have underlined every single powerfully moving and inspirational word, in this volume there were only a handful of poems I really connected with on a deep level. In this collection Smith touches on writing, motherhood, appreciation of the natural world and the shameful state of affairs in America. Some of my favorites included, The hum, Tender age, Airplanes, Animals, Half staff and Talisman. This is still a book I would recommend to poetry fans, especially if you have come to despair over life in America or want to be identify with the joys and concerns of motherhood. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

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An enjoyable collection. I especially loved the title poem's inclusion of Peoria, since I grew up about an hour away from that town.

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I have adored Maggie Smith's writing for years now so I was very excited to see her new book. I read the entire thing in a single sitting, both because it was short and because it was compelling. While it didn't evoke tears or strong emotions as her previous books have done, it was nice to read new material from Smith. Ultimately, I was disappointed it didn't seem to live up to her previous writing. I'd recommend this for someone who already enjoys Smith as a writer but for someone not familiar with her, I wouldn't suggest this as a starting point.

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