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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 2020)
BOOKMONGER Poet grapples with grief ‘In Accelerated Silence’ offers refl ective poetry The past week brought me news of the passing of yet another valued friend — the entire past year, it seems, has been full of these unwelcome surprises. Grieving has become commonplace in my household. Addressing that same terrible sense of loss, “In Accelerated Silence” is a new book of poetry by Spokane-based Brooke Matson. “I haven’t been to mass since Death (capital d) entered the narrative and sent my heart palpitating with rage at nothing in par- ticular,” she writes. And in another poem: “When people ask, How are you? / my mouth fi lls with fl annel.” But Matson fi nds her voice through the written word. She used poetry to work through her grief after her husband’s death from cancer. As fi nely crafted as these poems are, pre- cise in their imagery and careful in their wording, they are also ragged with emotion. YOUR #1 PREMIER CANNABIS RETAILER This Week’s Book ‘In Accelerated Silence’ By Brooke Matson Milkweed Editions — 96 pp — $16 Whether it’s taking the teakettle off the heat when it begins to shriek on the stove or fi nding the energy to get out of bed and commence another day as a widow, Mat- son’s writing is keenly visceral. A poem titled “The Day Before” actu- ally describes the evening — now a wist- ful memory — before the doctor calls with bad news. “Red Giant” describes the scorched- earth effect of chemotherapy — devastat- ing, yet also the stuff of stars. “Neurosurgery” is about the medical specialty but also much more. If an abundant, meaningful life can so easily come to an end due to a mass of unruly cells, or the slice of a knife, Mat- son ponders, are we all just experiments in physics, chemistry and biology? What about dimensions beyond the three we’re aware of? How much can we actually know? Many of her poems deal with these ideas. On another tangent, she muses about fruit – particularly apples and pomegranates — providing different takes on their sym- bolism and physical properties. Fruit and physics may seem like an odd juxtaposition — although her poem called “Newton’s Apple” does connect the two themes. A third element in many of these poems is the frequent invoking of color. Matson LARGEST SELECTION FRIENDLY & KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF ELITE PRODUCTS MADDOX D ance S tudio –– For Washington Residents –– Ilwaco Kelso (8am - 10pm) (8am - 12am) 360-261-7200 360-636-0420 133 Howerton Ave 820A West Side Hwy Cathlamet (8am - 10pm) 360-849-4504 327 WA-4 Longview (8am - 12am) 360-703-3229 971 14th Ave WARNING: This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. There may be health risks associated with the consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and over. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. 22 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Home of North Coast Dance Center little ballet theatre 503-861-1971 389 South Main Avenue Warrenton, OR www.maddoxdancers.com maddoxdancers@opusnet.com recollects a discussion about colors in kindergarten. Later on down the line, she remembers a science class- room where the teacher shone spotlights of blue and green and red on the wall to pro- duce, magically, white light. There are also poems that deal with the absence of color — the infi nity of black. In her soul-racking poem, “Law of the Conser- vation of Mass,” Matson describes perhaps the most dispiriting color of all: “Outside, the starlings sing the afternoon to grey while lilacs abandon their fragrance.” This slim volume offers up odes, ele- gies,and sonnets that resemble no sonnets I have ever before been acquainted with, except that they present in 14 lines. This may sound like a jumble, but “In Accelerated Silence” is actually a multifac- eted way of grappling with mourning and coming into a new place where grief still abides but no longer prevails. The Bookmonger is Barbara Lloyd McMichael, who writes this weekly column focusing on the books, authors and publish- ers of the Pacifi c Northwest. Contact her at bkmonger@nwlink.com. Hammond Kennels THE ONLY DRIVE THRU COFFEE SHOP ON THE SOUTH SLOPE OF ASTORIA We provide a comfortable and caring environment for your pets! Boarding • Grooming Training • Pet Supplies 503-861-1601 • 1050 Pacific Drive Hammond, OR www.hammondkennels.net 632 W. Marine Drive, Astoria at Smith Point
