As a writer, you can go months of working into what feels like a void. Of course you have supportive writers' groups, wonderful friends to talk about your work with, public readings, etc, and you will say that external validation doesn't matter - it's all about the practice, which is good advice and mostly you mean it, but the truth is that external validation, at least here and there, is incredibly important. I'm a reviewer myself, so I know the joy of engaging deeply with a book from the point of view of a reader. I feel like every review I write is a gift to myself: the gift of time, of attention, of allowing myself to open to something new. But it's easy to forget how much of an impact a deeply considered, beautifully written review can have on the author. It's not just that reviews are great for promoting your work. For me that is absolutely secondary. Knowing that someone you respect not only understands the work, but makes new connections in ways you could never have anticipated when you were working on it, is enough to keep me working for many more months into the void.
So it is with a great deal of joy that I received two beautiful reviews for my new poetry book
The Density of Compact Bone today. The first was from Charles Rammelkamp for international "cultural omnibus" London Grip: "Time is both an abstract concept and a monolithic force. It’s behind extinction, annihilation, memory, age. It’s also an illusion." The full review can be read here:
https://londongrip.co.uk/2021/12/london-grip-poetry-review-magdalena-ball/
The second was from the Beatriz Copello at the Australian powerhouse Rochford Street Review: "
The Density of Compact Boneis divided into four sections, each opens a door to different worlds, different spaces, moving from the microcosm to the macrocosm, from the individual to the multitudes, all written with richness of language and impeccable penmanship, or should I say penwomanship?" The full review can be found here:
https://rochfordstreetreview.com/2021/12/04/22530/Both reviews are beautifully written and deeply considered and I feel so grateful for the attention this little book has received from these generous and intelligent souls.
