Myra here.
I am glad to be joining Poetry Friday yet again this week. We are still celebrating our #WomenReadWomen2019 theme, and here is another female poet whose voice may potentially resonate with young women. Thank you to Poetry for Children for hosting this week.
The Princess Saves Herself In This One
Poetry by Amanda Lovelace
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing (2017)
ISBN: 144948641X (ISBN13: 9781449486419) Literary Award: Goodreads Choice Award for Poetry (2016). Borrowed from the Jurong West Public Library. Book photos taken by me and edited with an iPhone app.
I have already resigned myself to the fact that I am not the target audience for confessional, Tumblr-type of poetry such as this one. However, that being said, I also recognize that young women who are still struggling to redefine, transform, and reinvent themselves may benefit from such a no-holds-barred, fearless, defiant baring of the soul through verse. There is a great deal of anger in this collection as the poet essentially summarizes her life narrative through rhyme and meter: surviving an abusive, hateful mother; dealing with body-image issues and fat-shaming; betrayal from lovers and friends alike.
There were a handful of themes in this collection that resonated with me. One of which has to do with the reference to other female poets as seen in the poem below, effectively positioning the poet alongside a tribe of women who lived tortured lives and made sense of their realities through poetry:
Another would be the unabashed love for words and their power to transform, comfort, heal:
This last poem also reflects this coming to terms with one’s self through poetry.
I hope you enjoyed the design and layout of the poems. I took a photo of the page and edited them using an iPhone app. Cheers to our most loyal lover.
#WomenReadWomen2019: United States of America
Gathering Books 
Thank you for sharing this collection, Myra. I especially liked the last one about poetry allowing us to bleed without blood.
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Interesting, Myra. Thanks for sharing these. I recently picked up Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey, though I am also not the target audience. But she’s resonating with so many people, I want to try to see what creates the connection. I love the poem here with the allusions to all the other women poets. Even though I don’t know everyone she’s referring to!
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I do love the app designs around the poems! I think the first is my favorite. Lovelace cleverly introduces these female poets with references to their own poems. Just love the”feathered-covered hope” reference to “Hope is the thing with feathers.” Myra, on another subject, can you point me to a website with recommended children’s books, picture or board, that would include South Korean characters? Our pastor and his wife who are South Korean are here in New England and just had baby girl twins! I’d like to give a book gift.
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Yes! Raid your library! Wonderful post.
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This would be a wonderful book to share in a high school class and support those who need extra words for their own troubles. Thanks for sharing, Myra!
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I picked up a book by this poet and it wasn’t my jam. (As you said, I’m not the target audience.) I like the poems you picked better than the ones I saw.
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Thank you for sharing this collection. I like the poems you chose to share, especially the first one.
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Myra, love this woman-focused poem gems and how you used an app to do an engaging layout too. Thanks so much for joining the Poetry Friday gathering this week!
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