The Fabulous Disguise of Ourselves

Carolyn Hlus was a lecturer in English literature at the University of Alberta, Edmonton.

The 37 poems of Jan Conn’s latest collection draw, as did those in her first collection, Red Shoes in the Rain, from her scientific background. But what emerges in this collection is her ability to integrate elements of foreign cultures into her own personal experience.

Insect imagery reflects Conn’s background in cytotaxonomy. The poems, in a sense, elevate insects to a mystical level and empower them with metaphysical meaning. At times, Conn imbues physical objects with the qualities of insects; for instance, the airplane (insect?) in “The Intricate Tattoo of a Dream” provides the persona of the poem with an insect-like view of the world.

The settings, often specific foreign countries, and primarily Central America, are also viewed from an insect’s eye. Conn’s tendency to describe places from this angle results in a consistently skeptical and rather sardonic tone. The poems’ attitude towards personal identity and interaction with parents, lovers, and friends is similarly detached. Often separated from loved ones, the personae of Conn’s poems search for significance in human relationships, it seems, as tourists in foreign countries search for understanding of alien cultures.

Conn’s insectivorus, yet global, perspective shows evidence, in this collection, of stabilizing into a solid poetical voice.