I took it as a good sign that the book club hostess, someone I’d not met before, opened the door and welcomed me in from the cold autumn afternoon with a broad smile and a hug. I followed her into a sitting area where most of the group had already gathered – and where a half-dozen copies of Sugar Fix lay on the coffee table in front of them. While I knew that each of these avid readers had purchased a book, the scene still took me by surprise. There was MY beautiful book, six times over, alongside a number of books the women were sharing with each other – authors like Louise Penny and Tara Westover.
These women hadn’t just bought Sugar Fix – they’d reveled in it. They laughed at the sexy and sassy poems, asked questions about race and DNA, and shared their own stories about ancestors, complicated pasts, and other books they’ve recently read. They asked me to read a few poems I wanted to share – and then they started making requests, mentioning poem titles or phrases that stuck with them. The motorcycle poem. The red velvet cake poem. The bathtub poem.
Thanks to Mary Catherine for suggesting SUGAR FIX to her book club – and to all these women for such a fun and thought-provoking afternoon!
Friends, I’m telling you, this was a writer’s dream! I’ve been reading poetry (my own and others’) to a variety of audiences for over a decade, and this was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. It made me feel like a writer in an all-new, more mainstream way.
Yes, I know poetry isn’t mainstream. I lament the fact that Oprah, Reese, and so many other book clubs and events don’t select poetry books. I lament the fact that many avid readers (and even some of my fellow writers) won’t even consider trying contemporary poetry.
I’m on a mission to change that, one book club at a time. I’m thrilled to hear about book clubs choosing any poetry books, but of course right now I’d love for your book club to consider Sugar Fix. I’m glad to visit in person or virtually – to discuss Sugar Fix, to discuss poetry in general, and to provide recommendations for other poetry books your group might like.
Why choose a poetry book for your book club?
- It expands the diversity of your reading – which is part of why you’re in a book club, right?
- Through its many different poems, a single poetry book may contain writing that engages and/or challenges everyone in the group through sound, metaphor, imagery, and more. Poetry is like music – there’s something for everyone.
- A poetry book often covers many contemporary topics, inspiring your group to wider discussion. Poems also sometimes get to the “core” of an issue or idea in a way that prose doesn’t.
- Poetry can be a relatively quick read, giving your group a nice break from prose. (Although I tend to encourage readers to enjoy a poetry book a few poems at a time, if possible.)
- Sugar Fix features a mix of poems and voices dealing with love, desire, kinship, race relations, American history and current times, nature and more. The poems are mostly narrative – meaning each tells a story – and although I address serious subjects, they are laced with humor – and plenty of sugar, of course. Learn more about the book
Contact me to schedule a visit with your book club.
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