I am in awe of Tracy K. Smith’s ingenious ability to express her thoughts through lyrical prose; she presents a beautiful array of similes and metaphors, resulting in incredibly vivid imagery. Ms. Smith is able to convey her emotions so clearly, and gives the reader a pictorial idea of her experiences: “But on that particular August day, in our kitchen, the word [cancer] entered our home as if calmly, through the front door, looking us in the eyes, and calling one of us by name,”…sometimes her personification is just breathtaking. It is no wonder that she is a notable poet: “We tried to say some of what we thought, or felt, or wondered. We tried, but it was too soon, or else, the dark had rendered foreign all that we thought we knew, and so we didn’t even manage to speak of how irremediably broken we all were.” She just has such a way with words: "While we sleep, our minds continue to toy with our fears, by spinning strange dreams. I suspect on some unconcious level, the anxieties we dwell upon provide us with a primitive round-about way of affirming the addictive delight of being alive." I could continue to quote her, but needless to say, this memoir certainly does not lack in expression.
As with most memoirs, what it lacks of course, is a solid plot. I would ascertain that this was a cathartic exercise for Ms. Smith, and is therefore, worth its weight in gold for her. However, for readers that aren’t necessarily looking for a play-by-play of a rather typical American upbringing, this book can seem a bit monotonous. During the decriptions of her heartbreak, whether by a man, or the overriding situation with her mother, she held my attention tightly, and I felt the pain right along with her. However, the other situations in her life, and the resulting epiphanies were rather mundane.
Despite those sentiments, I must reiterate that she manages to take language to a whole new level. Perhaps she should try her hand at a fictional novel, as I’m sure it would be a great success. I, for one, would be among the first to read it.
Read 5/4/16
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