Entomological catastrophes are rarely a source of poetic inspiration. Ditto Goldbach's prime number conjecture. Poet and spoken word artist Michele Battiste, however, is anything but a stodgy traditionalist. She is more likely to panegyrize her food processor than to lament the icy decisiveness of Death (the fact that one of her favorite hobbies is collecting epidemiological statistics on the world's major diseases notwithstanding). Her work is vivific, yet thoughtful; intellectual, yet sultry - one moment wizened and worldly, the next, purring with vernal allure. Additionally, Battiste's command of the English language is a marvel. Her verse is bursting with bewitching imagery and the rhythmic elegance of Latin jazz. And she can unfold a trope like a peacock's fan, revealing a staggering bounty of striking patterns and unexpected connections. As far as this (NY Times) critic is concerned, Battiste is a major talent. She's sure to become one of the true luminaries of American poetry in the 21st century.
Formerly the MFA Poetry Fellow in Wichita State University's master of fine arts creative writing program, Battiste recently returned to her native New York to pursue a career in indentured servitude. Her chapbook, Mapping the Spaces Between, was released in the summer of 2005 by Snark Publishing, a small press located in O'Fallon, Ill. Sexy and neurotic, the poems in the book chronicle the 23-day separation of two lovers. Though the series begins tenderly, things quickly go awry.
According to Jim Daniels, editor of American Poetry: The Next Generation,
"(Michele Battiste's) poems are driven by some super high-octane duende. They spin and spill all over the place with a controlled recklessness and a sustained energy. She's ready to take flight at the smallest provocation, wings oiled up, in tune with the mad universe."
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Ink for an Odd Cartography, Michele's long- awaited first full-length collection, will be published by Black Lawrence Press.
Michele's chapbook, Raising Petra, is now available from Pudding House. You can order a copy through Pudding House or by emailing Michele directly at mcb@michelebattiste.com |
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