Invitation to read my review of Alison Pelegrin's Our Lady of the Flood

My review of Alison Pelegrin's Our Lady of the Flood (Diode Editions, 2018) is now online at The Poetry Cafe.

Pelegrin, an author of several books of poetry, who is also Writer-in-Residence at Southeastern Louisiana University, has created a collection of poems "that puts the region’s eccentricity in the colorful and sometimes absurd context that it deserves. Moreover, she does it—often with delicious humor—by using language that gives new life to the tasks and customs that are part of daily life in and around New Orleans."

Pelegrin introduces us to some new "Our Lady" figures who embody the culture of the New Orleans region in ways that are both spot-on and, at times, hilarious. She also writes about Hurricane Katrina, several local culinary delights, and the artifacts of racism. It isn't easy to describe the one-of-a-kind culture of New Orleans and its outlying regions, but Pellegrin does it with wit, a keen eye for detail, and  language that is rich and colorful.

My review is available to read here.