Fire & Flower

Laura Kasischke's writing, in both her poems and her novels, is brilliantly original. She handles difficult subject matter with unblinking honesty, but doesn't ignore the power of ironic humor. There is a real person behind these poems, and I feel lucky to have finally found a poet/writer whose work I never tire of. You know that record you've played over and over and still haven't grown tired of, the songs that sound fresh every time like the first time? That's how this writer works for me.

This is a strange and beautiful book of poems. Laura Kasischke writes vividly, but the poems are also creepy and mysterious. I've had the honor of taking her class at Washtenaw Community College twice now, and I have to say she is one of the funniest, nicest ladies I've ever met. Where she finds these frightening images and subjects beats the heck out of me, but that just adds to the mystery, and makes me love these poems even more.