How We Negotiate

Olga Costopoulos teaches English at the University of Alberta.

Maxianne Berger is a poet whose first collection shows much promise. The
poems here deal with daily life from a number of points of view. The
subjects vary wildly, from the “death of a right arm” (an eerily
paralyzing piece) to a meditation on childlessness in a shoe store. The
voice here is personal without ever edging into the boringly
confessional.

It is a distinct pleasure to read a literary poet, although Berger may
not be entirely comfortable with her own literary qualities. She has
provided two unnecessary pages of notes. She could have more faith in
her readers. This mild criticism applies to the collection as a whole.
While most of the poems are very strong and spare, some would have
profited from further editing, which would allow the reader to go some
distance to meet the poems. She would also be well advised to vary the
flora in her metaphor patch: the rose needs to be less in evidence. That
said, there are some deeply moving poems in the collection, notably
“Old Lady Things” and “The Smile of Old Porcelain.” One hopes
for a second volume soon from this agile mind.