A Fine Grammar of Bones

Sheila Martindale is poetry editor of Canadian Author and Bookman and
the author of No Greater Love.

The writing of Meira Cook is similar to that of James Joyce. Rich images
tumble after each other in no particular order, and somewhere under the
surface is a plot or point that teases the reader to pursue it. This
collection of poems and prose poems is in five sections: “The Crazy
Woman Poems” take us inside the confused mind of the mentally wounded;
“Palms of the Hand Stories” are about weird people and their bizarre
behavior; “Tailored Desires” hints about the significance of
clothes, some of which have minds of their own; “This Time of Year”
touches on the natural world and suggests that fruit pies are a metaphor
for life; finally, “Instructions for Navigating the Labyrinth” is a
tale of horror hiding behind normal behavior. Though the writing is
clever, original, and very imaginative, this collection is perplexing
and disturbing, and is therefore recommended only for seasoned readers
of poetry.