Or Did You Ever See The Other Side?

Internationally acclaimed ekphrastic poet Hedy Habra's most recent collection is luminous and powerful in its exploration of women and art. Or Did You Ever See The Other Side? turns on a superb and often spellbinding use of anaphora exploring artists, muses and creative practice. Reminiscent of Anne Carson's Short Talks, Habra composes poems as alternatives including on topics such as Half-Open Doors, Hot Flashes, Heartbeats, Fractals, Lovers' Encounters on TV Shows, Ciphers, and Keys. These ultimately culminate in the question, "Or What Is Life If Not A Constant Carving Of Oneself?" Using diverse sources including art from Remedios Varo, Shiharu Shiota, and Wadada Leo Smith, this is poetry as "mobilis in mobile," expressing haunting and indelible feminist voicings of women in art. -Cassandra Atherton, Professor of Writing and Literature, Melbourne, Australia