Britain's first out lesbian Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, has brought forth two compelling collections of vibrant poems in Rapture and The Bees. She continues to impress with her themes of compassion and empathy, encompassed by her overarching senitments on love and reality. Emotions are spilled across every page and Duffy's assertion on how love shapes us is unmatched. Duffy's diversification in style, language, and form is unique as she always packs a deep and often jarring message to her readers.
(Rapture: FSGBooks.com, $15.00; The Bees: FSGBooks.com, $23.00)
The life of Gypsies is a relatively unknown one, a speculated upon mystery to many outside the Romany culture. And with generations having suffered persecution in the past, Gypsies tend to keep to themselves. If one chooses to leave, they leave forever. In the sequel to My life in the Secret World of the Romany Gypsies, Mikey Walsh does just that. As a young gay man, Walsh chose to leave the life at the age of 15 after grappling between a life with his family and a life he truly wanted to lead. Gypsy Boy on the Run tells the story of the boy that left, and the gang of gypsies that followed him, eager to claim their reward. (Macmillan.com, $24.99)
READER COMMENTS (