Book Review. Motion as the Thing that Separates the Living from the Dead by Liza Rose.

The poems in MATTTSTLFTD by Liza Rose made me feel an aching sort of nostalgia. Memory is a key theme. At times I almost got the shivers.

I loved the metaphor in Training Wheels, a poem about the individual influences on our writing and for the narrator these influences were Plath, Oliver and Bishop. I loved the imagery of these poets helping the writer grow as a poet.

and Bishop runs alongside me, steady hands on shaky shoulders,

She pushes me forward with such great momentum

that i don’t even notice when she lets go




Motion as the Thing that Separates the Living from the Dead Liza Rose

I liked the contemporary thoughts of modern methods of the preservation of our thoughts.

i often wonder

if our generation’s texts will be preserved

just as love letters of past generations were



Motion as the Thing that Separates the Living from the Dead Liza Rose

and I’ve never read lines in poetry as relatable as these ones:

MY BODY AS A LOST DOG

the word ‘my’ before ‘body’ never felt right to me. she feels, rather, like something i found and never had the heart to get rid of


Motion as the Thing that Separates the Living from the Dead Liza Rose

In poem I FEEL FULL OF EMPTINESS (IF THAT MAKES SENSE) I stopped highlighting lines I liked eventually. I had to highlight the entire poem, title included. I feel like I know these lines inside out.

A superb collection of poetry, made me feel and think.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

A poetically raw, fresh, youthful look at the ever-difficult transition from girlhood to womanhood. Motion as the Thing that Separates the Living from the Dead pays attention to the little details of life and expands upon them in a solemn yet hopeful voice while exploring the topics of first love, first heartbreak, sexuality, self-love, and many others. For those falling in love, falling out of love, feeling out of place, trying to discover who they are: this book is for you.

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