A massive congratulations to Barbara Smith, whose poem has been chosen as The Guardian's Poem of The Week. 'Lucifer Takes A Break' features in Smith's collection 'Anne Askew on The Kafka Machine' - available now (here)!
Carol Rumen describes Smith's range of subjects as "broad, her perspective often gently feminist... challenging such male-dominated themes as the vicissitudes of growing up in rural Ireland."
Anne Askew on the Kafka Machine is an affectionate and at times startling poetic account of life growing up in Ireland. The poems are earthy and lyrical against a backdrop of political events. There is a nod to Irish folklore, and to the myths that connect people to their land and which shape their sense of time and destiny. Barbara writes in a way that is succinct and witty, showing how simple yet significant human relationships are, infusing her poems with tender details while never taking her eye off the inevitable endings that are interwoven into human destiny.
