These poems were wonderful. Rivera creates poetry that is approachable but packs a punch. I appreciated the covid reactions.

I reviewed this for Amazon as well. At first, I did not connect to these poems. But as I read deeper and reflected, I became captivated by the way the poet brought the past into the present through memories of her family, especially her grandparents. These reflections contrast with and temper the anxieties of our current age, the murders in El Paso, the children in cages at the border, represented in other works here. I will re-read this collection a few times, because I sense that there are many layers to uncover.

Sara Daniele Rivera’s "The Blue Mimes" is a poetry book that makes you pause, close your eyes, and contemplate. After reading the first poem, “Earthworks,” I began taking the book to bed with me at night so I could read it underneath the covers for additional solitude. (And without interruption.)

A portion of a phrase in “Earthworks” caught me in the soft hollow of my throat: “I am trying to believe we were earthworks together…” The melding of earth and work together into a soft amalgam of a relational landscape left me wanting and curious.

"The Blue Mimes" (2024) is the Academy of American Poets First Book Award Winner for 2023, which included publication with Graywolf Press. Her collection is filled to the teetering brim with a landscape of love and loss magnified by the 2016 election and compounded by the death and destruction of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rivera’s personal carabiner is soldered by her familial relationships, especially with her father. Her memory-keys dance with reminiscence and grief, as highlighted in poems such as “The Split” and “Papi, Papa.”

Many of her poems incorporate her Cuban/Peruvian heritage via the Spanish language, migration experiences, and the inclusion of Lima, Perú Havana, Cuba, and Albuquerque, New Mexico like they are neighboring towns or additional members of Rivera’s family tree.

"The Blue Mimes" is the whole poetry package: A debut from an author who integrates her grief, memories, and familial experiences through a contemporary sociopolitical lens—she even did the artwork! What a generous literary gift for readers at the start of April and National Poetry Writing Month.

Gracious thanks to Sarah Daniele Rivera, Graywolf Press, and NetGalley for the eARC!!

A beautiful collection of poems — written in both English and Spanish — touching on themes of grief, loss, and melancholy. Definitely a book I’ll revisit over and over again.

(Thank you, Graywolf Press and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

some beautiful language used in this collection. gorgeous, impactful formatting that enhanced the pieces. a high 3.

thank you to graywolf press and netgalley for the ARC i received.

3.5/5 stars
A great interpretation of grief. A quick read but doesn’t lack on the deep and cutting feelings.

There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t read poetry, sometimes from multiple collections. I’m so glad to have found and been an early reader of The Blue Mimes. I particularly enjoy poems that touch on time, grief and memory; this collection by Sara Daniele Rivera alludes to all that and then some.
She opens up her heart and lays bare her immense grief for ones she’s lost. Being at a time when the world is in the grips of a pandemic, we see how this makes the healing process more difficult and extended. Her blending of language and culture make this an absolutely beautiful collection.

An emotional journey of family, grief, heritage, and belonging. The form is fresh and full of expression and I really love when poetry is bilingual. It feels homey and authentic.

My favorite poems are: "multi-nights", "Sonnet to Sleep Paralysis", and "Poem for a Scorpion Child."

This is a really lovely meditation on different kinds of grief. The images are startling and beautiful and the poems fit together perfectly as a collection.

Beautifully written. These collections of poems in English and Spanish shows some thoughtful moments. The words in these poems are a worth of an expression.

Thanks to the publishers at Graywolf Press and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this collection of poems and do a review.

I am at a loss for words after reading this collection, as though Sara Daniele Rivera had just ripped the few that remained from the cavity of my chest. These poems are a powerful expression of loss and grief that turn over themselves in an exquisite braid of language. It’s only January and I already know this will be one of my—if not most—favorite book I’ll read this year. I cannot wait to own a copy of this in print. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I think I've liked everything I've ever read from Graywolf Press, and The Blue Mimes is no exception! The writing here is absolutely lovely and moving. I hold collections involving grief very close to my heart, and I felt emotionally connected to the themes included in this collection.

Collection of poems in English and Spanish - I loved the duality of language here and the drawings intermixed with words.

Covers many topics, cultures and stages of life. Sad at times, but realistic and dreamy, a hard balance.

Gorgeous. Heart wrenching. An exposition on what it is to be human. I had tears in my eyes during most of the poems and felt connected to people I didn't even know, but I know have shared these similar situations in life. Too often, I think we assume that we are entirely alone in our experiences but we have more in common with perfect strangers that we anticipate and this collection of poems shows just that.

I am so thankful for the auto-approvals of Graywolf Press on Netgalley and Sara Daniele Rivera for granting me access to this wonderfully bittersweet collection of poems. The Blue Mimes speaks of the times during and after great political tension, global health risks, the transparency of never-truer colors, and generational hurt that reveals itself time and time again. This collection is set to hit shelves on April 2, 2024, and I'm so excited!