144. Journey Into Elder Space by Mary Logan Sweet

Sweet, Mary Logan. Journey Into Elder Space. Cedar Falls, IA: Audere Books, 1999. Print.

68 pages

Reviewed by Jessica d'Artagnan Love

Mary Logan Sweet is a poet in Iowa. She is one of my favorite poets. Unfortunately, her work is nearly impossible to find. Her books were published by a small press and are no longer in print. The only reason I know she exists is because I stumbled across her books in my library’s section on Iowa writers. Mary Logan Sweet died in 2014.

Journey Into Elder Space explores themes of aging in Iowa. The language rich in pastoral metaphors and, if you’re an Iowa native, something about Sweet’s work captures the essence of an Iowa summer—they heavy humid air and singing cicadas. Her poems in this collection evoke images of the aged farmer, hands wrangled with arthritis gripping a coffee mug at the local diner at 6am.

My favorite poems from this collection include: “To Report a Lost Word,” “Morning Challenge,” “March Light,” “Homesick,” “Harvester,” “Time Out for Leaders,” and “Old Gardener.” Below is the poem, “Old Gardener.”

 

Old Gardener

Up, about, and masked at dawn,

the trappings of old age put on,

my neighbor slowly moves between

his brittle bones and paper skin.

 

A fallow army he reviews:

the drab lapsed shrubbery spring renews,

the branches downed in an ice storm,

the wandering vine in search of warm.

 

He estimates the strength of day,

commands the laggard cold away,

then, stirring leaf mold with his cane,

gently calls the bulbs again.

Would I read it again? 

Yes.

Recommended for

Those who enjoy pastoral poetry. Unfortunately, I doubt you will be able to find a copy.

Not Recommended for

Those who don’t enjoy free verse poetry.

3 stars out of 5

Mary Logan Sweet’s obituary: https://wcfcourier.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/mary-jean-sweet/article_bf7dcce5-c6b1-52f6-9fca-93448a1cbbae.html

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100. "Time and Chance: An Iowa Murder Mystery" edited by Barbara Lounsberry

(Image Source)

Lounsberry, Barabara (ed.). Time and Change: An Iowa Murder Mystery. Cedar Falls, Iowa: Public Radio KUNI, 1998.

188 pages.

Reviewed by J. d'Artagnan Love

SYNOPSIS: Charlie runs an inn in the small river town of Bella, Iowa. When three people end up dead, she finds herself in the middle of a mystery that likes of which Bella has never seen before. This book is a "serial novel" meaning it was written by 17 different Iowa writers. The writers have a wide range of backgrounds and experience and each writer contributed one chapter to the novel.

WHAT I LOVED: I loved reading something written by Iowa writers who were so clearly having fun with the project. The delight of the writing process shown through in each chapter with tongue-in-cheek Iowa references and moments that made laugh out loud. The book is filled with Iowa references from cities, institutions, traditions, and history.

WHAT I LIKED: I liked that there was continuity in the book, despite being written by 17 different authors. I was more than willing to give this book some wiggle room when it came to consistency of character or style, and was pleasantly surprised that there were very few issues with this. The few I could find didn't really stand out of pull me away from the story.

WHAT I COULD DO WITHOUT: You know, I love a good murder mystery, but I couldn't take this book that seriously. I think this is because you could tell the writers weren't taking themselves too seriously. I can appreciate it this based on the goal of the book. They were writing it for fun, not to write a best seller, but it made my commitment to the story wane.

RECOMMEND FOR: Anyone who wants a fun, quick, read full of Iowa references.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: Serious mystery readers who want something of substance.

2 darts out of 5

34. "Black Eagle Child: The Facepaint Narratives" by Ray A. Young Bear

Young Bear, Ray A. Black Eagle Child: The Facepaint Narratives. New York: Fire Keepers, 1992. Print

261 pages
Reviewed by J. d’Artagnan Love

Black Eagle Child: The Facepaint Narratives is an interesting collection of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, myth, and folk tales. It tells the story of Edgar Bearchild and his family’s lives on the Black Eagle Child settlement in Iowa.

The story is graphic, violent, sad, spiritual, and, at points, confusing. It can be difficult to tell what is truth, what is fiction, what is poetry, and what is prose. In one chapter, Edgar tells the story of when he and his friend used psychedelic drugs as part of a religious ceremony. Reading the text, I almost felt like I was tripping on the drugs myself. It truly pulled me into the narrator’s point of view.

I think to fully appreciate this book, I will have to read it more than once.

3 darts out of 5
Bookshelf Project Status: KEEP