Kirjahaku

Blue Wren is a beautiful and moving body of work from poet Bron Bateman. Using Frida Kahlo as her inspiration, she has crafted a collection of poems that builds on the themes from Of Memory and Furniture, of healing and reclaiming her past. In her new book, Bron experiments with different forms, such as magical realism, prose poetry, and free verse, with many poems addressed to her lover, her sister, her children, and the strong influence that her mother had on her life

Of Memory and Furniture is described by Julienne van Loon as 'a deeply feminist project', and by David Brooks as 'bold, explicit and unapologetic'. This collection in four parts explores experiences of female embodiment, sexuality, and relationships with family, lovers and institutions. It is concerned with expressions of female sexuality in its myriad forms - heterosexual, lesbian, and experiences of nonnormative sexuality - as well as issues of maternal subjectivity, mental health and abuse and, throughout, the role of memory in enabling healing. The poems are at once erotic and deeply thought through, intelligent and tender.