"Soft Targets" by Deborah Landau (published 2019)


"Soft Targets" is a gorgeous book of poetry that breaks free from over-sentimentality and romanticism. Landau writes about how the body continues to "be", how it continues to "exist" in a world of emotional and physical violence and how this isn't always in sync with the beauty that can be found in smaller, quieter spaces and places. My review will not do justice to Landau's lyricism. I'd say about two hours for a careful read that you won't regret. I love that Landau writes as a mother, a lover, a daughter, a friend, and a citizen of the world. I didn't give it five stars because her poetry seems fragmented, like scenes zipping by in this contemporary life: i.e. it is all too real.

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