stefanicox's Reviews (519)

“My Glimmerglass Girl is merely a shadow of myself, so I ask only that you hold her gently, for she may slip away before you have come to fully know her.”

Holly Lyn Walrath opens her collection with this subtle entreaty, and the words set the tone for the rest of her work—a searching, ethereal book of poems.

Glimmerglass Girl, just out from Finishing Line Press, covers a variety of themes, but centers around the search for self-knowledge and self-recognition. This search’s incarnation is decidedly feminine, and includes moments of profound solitude, as well as the motion of being in relationship to another.

There are meditations on heart and soul, with a tender probing of loneliness underneath. Many of the poems have a mirrored and echoing quality—they seem to come from the borderlands of the psyche, where who we know we are meets the subconscious and mysterious currents below.

See the full review on my website: https://stefanicox.com/holly-lyn-walraths-glimmerglass-girl-is-a-steady-descent-into-self/

I listened to Blair's book on audio, which was such a treat given the nature of this deeply personal and self-reflective story about a young woman's search for herself through pushing boundaries. I actually went to high school with Blair, which made the read even more interesting! But I think most women would find her story really compelling, especially those who enjoy books with a streak of feminism or books about the outdoors. Blair is amazingly articulate about her own traumatic experiences related to the vulnerability of being female, but at the same time her story is at its core deeply empowering. And it gives a look into the landscape and people of places I may never see: Alaskan glaciers and northern Norway. Can't wait to see what she comes out with next!