Book Review: POETRY
Liz Howard, Letters In A Bruised Cosmos
The poems in Liz Howard’s newest poetry book are incandescent; a shining light among the stars within the cosmos that the book is named after. The work is a collection of personal memories and contemplative thoughts that exist in tandem with cosmological teachings, both contemporary and Anishinaabe. The poems are like celestial bodies that exist together, pulled in by each other’s gravity within the solar system of her book. There is a depth to each and every poem that simply cannot be acknowledged with the first read-through––Howard encourages readers to critically analyze each one in order to meet the poem at its core. It’s a book I will revisit again and again, discovering new meanings the deeper I look, just as one may discover new entities the deeper they look into the sky.
The title of this book is an homage to the cosmic microwave background (CMB) cold spot, also known as a “cosmic bruise.” The overarching theme of her book revolves around this notion of a cold spot in the fabric of the universe, which is representative of her father, who disappeared when she was young and left behind a hole in her universe. The two subjects mirror each other in many of her poems as cosmological and mathematical principles act as metaphorical vehicles that drive forward the plot of her biographical poems. They also inform the structure of her poems, many of which take the shape of the very thing they are speaking of. They so very clearly tie all the poems together with an invisible thread, much like the invisible background noise that permeates the entire observable universe. The confessional voice that emerges from the work as a whole speaks directly to the title of the book: Letters In A Bruised Cosmos. Each poem is a letter––some more literal (such as the poem titled “Letters from Halifax”)––while others are read more figuratively, as somewhat of a diary entry that is sent into the universe to inscribe her existence into the history of time.
The very first poem, “Probability Cloud” instantly transports the reader into the universe of this book when they see its structure. At the center of this lyrical, free verse poem are the words “THE HOLE IN THE SKY” written vertically to create a literal hole in the poem. This choice of form is a direct representation of the cold spot that inspires the work as a whole. The poem makes several references to the overall theme as it explores the notion of human permanence in the grand scheme of the universe. The line “Technical oracle, a feed that repeats itself, / a reckoning.” works as a metaphor for the cosmic background radiation that repeats itself throughout the universe. Throughout the book, Howard reflects on the past events of her life, as well as contemplating her future. She positions herself as an embodiment and extension of the universe, which has not yet come to an end. This poem introduces the book as not something with a start and an end, but rather a continuation of Howard’s own story that ends with a thematic “To Be Continued.”
My favourite poem(s) to read from this book were the three titled “Superposition.” In physics, superposition refers to the state a particle is in before it is observed, suspended between multiple states of being, before the wave function collapse that results in it ‘choosing’ a singular state. The three poems with this title are dispersed throughout the book, each one tackling a different time period in Howard’s life that all interconnect. The very act of reading these poems is to partake in the wave function collapse. The poem exists in a state of superposition until one is selected to be read. Then, while it is being observed by the reader, it takes on a position and meaning within the book (which depends on which of the three you choose to read). This, to me, is an ingenious way of incorporating the book’s thematic purpose into individual poems.
The last poem I want to mention is “Settler––Anishinaabekwe––Noli Turbare.” I was drawn to this poem the moment I read its title. In it, Howard explores her identity as an Indigenous woman living in a city created by settlers. The major theme in this poem is geometry, starting from the very first lines: “Beauty is my irreparable eye / and today I became geometric.” In the title, Howard references the famous last words of mathematician Archimedes, which are directly incorporated into the poem later on. The Latin translation is “do not disturb my circles.” Circles play an important role in many Aboriginal cultures, signifying the continuous cycles that interconnect all living things––a theme we see time and time again in this book as it emphasizes the lack of beginnings and ends. My favourite lines in this poem are when Howard writes, “Striated by the pinnacle light / of this city that has my blood pooled / purple at the center of its gravity. / You can scan the ground from overhead / for death pits.” In this riveting stanza, Howard uses intense imagery to talk about the violence and death caused by early settlers, upon which this city is built. In recent years, hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children mark the ground with death pits, leaving a gaping wound at the center of the city, much like the cold spot in our universe. This poem takes on a sorrowful tone that abruptly shifts shortly after this stanza, so as to show the lasting effects of colonization on Aboriginal communities. This poem was a raw perspective on Howard’s personal life experiences and a truly humbling experience for me to read. I loved it.
The biggest takeaway I had from reading Howard’s book was that experiential learning matters. My experiences matter. Recently, I’ve drifted away from writing anything that has to do with my background as an POC immigrant, as someone raised under strict religion, as someone who did not have a Western upbringing. My work was forced into fitting contemporary narratives, which are actually completely alien to me. Howard’s writing has shown me that my lived experiences do matter and drawing from them can meaningfully impact my writing in a positive way. I am inspired by this book to use my own narrative as a way to trail-blaze change in the world of Western writing. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get into poetry as it is beginner-friendly and culturally rich. Reading it has been a truly enriching experience.