Motherships, Haunted Mirrors, and Heritances: September Poetry Releases

In the world of poetry, September 2021 is replete with exceptional works from a variety of talented poets. While several remarkable collections were beyond the scope of this round-up, readers can look forward to the releases of Sherwin Bitsui's "The Next Sky," Cynthia Cruz's "Twilight," Erica Meitner's "Assembled Audience," Don Mee Choi's "Freely Frayed," Joanna Klink's "Days and Chances," Kiki Petrosino's "Perfect Italian," and Brenda Hillman's "Still House in the Desert," among others.

As readers delve into these September poetry releases, they will notice a collective sense of renewal among poets post-pandemic. The poems exhibit a strong presence of both intensity and emotion, weaving together a rich tapestry of "teeth" and "soul."

Aldo Amparán's "The House Has Teeth" tells the visceral story of trauma and self-discovery through haunting imagery. "Men instilled in me an empty. I've grown up without a body of my own." Amparán's poems delve into hauntings, reflecting on the scars of violence and the reflection of trauma from a sonnet filled with "closets and candlelit rooms and wounded and severed bodies."

Kathy Fagan's "The Unbecoming" is a powerful exploration of womanhood and aging. Her collection opens with fourteen "miniatures" that skewer the indignities, freedoms, and revelations of self as a woman graduating from "middle age." The speaker's journey through self-discovery is marked by moments of reflection and grief, such as when she is called "Old Bag" on the street and learns to confront her father's cruelties.