All Booked: Poetry for the New Year

By Tessa Reeg Thu Jan 16, 2025 | 01:52pm

The original version of this newsletter was sent out on Tuesday, January 14.
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Hello, fellow bookworms, and happy 2025!

To kick things off, my most recent read has been Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange, a story of the trauma inflicted by the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, and the impact on three generations of one Native American family. This novel draws a line from the colonization and forced assimilation of Native people in the 1800s to the issues of addiction, PTSD, and poverty that persist today as a result. The theme of disconnect with one’s Indigenous identity and heritage is particularly heartbreaking; as time progresses, the characters experience difficulty identifying with the traditions that colonizers fought so hard to erase, while some dedicated people try to keep them alive. It’s one thing to read facts in a history book, but Tommy Orange captures the impact of these historical events on the human beings involved, and the echoes that are still felt today.

Tommy Orange will be at UCSB’s Campbell Hall on Wednesday, January 29, 7:30 p.m., as part of UCSB Arts & Lectures to discuss his book. For tickets and more information, click here.

In the spirit of the new year and resolutions, I thought I’d make a suggestion. For those of you who resolve to read more books or to branch out in your reading tastes this year, try reading some poetry! After the chaos of the holidays, it might feel overwhelming to immediately tackle a phone-book-thick novel or some fact-heavy nonfiction. Poetry offers the advantage of more bite-sized, creative pieces of writing that allow you to form your own interpretations and lose yourself in the rhythm of the words.

Here are a few favorites from my own shelves, as well as a charming collection recently sent to me by a reader.

Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass by Lana Del Rey

I’ve been a huge fan of alt-pop songstress Lana Del Rey for years, and when I first heard that she was releasing a book of poetry, I was over the moon. Her songwriting ability and creative lyrics are a big part of why I enjoy her music so much, and her book of poems, Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass, does not disappoint. Del Rey’s themes of melancholy femininity, nostalgia, and difficult love are all woven together in lines that feel both intricate and beautifully simple. Along with a small collection of original photography, the book features a few rough-draft versions next to the final versions of some of the poems, complete with words crossed out and rewritten, giving a glimpse into her creative process.

As a bonus, Del Rey released this book as a spoken-word album you can listen to on Spotify, and it’s a lovely treat to hear the poems in her voice.

Poūkahangatus and Rangikura by Tayi Tibble

Māori poet Tayi Tibble impressed me from the very first time I read her work, and I can’t wait to see where her career takes her. Her first collection of poems, Poūkahangatus, explores her identity as a millennial Indigenous woman and the balance of inspiration and influence both modern and steeped in history. Rangikura, her second collection, dives deeper into the untold stories of her own family and all the Māori women who came before her and feels like a defiant piece of declaration against the silencing of Indigenous voices. Tibble’s vivid descriptions swing from the sparkly and glamorous to salt-of-the-earth, all while remaining unashamedly feminine, and I find myself wishing someone could turn them into songs.

Revolution: Piercing the Veil by Samantha Minerva

The first of three books of poetry in a series by Samantha Minerva, Revolution: Piercing the Veil is a heartfelt collection of poems about confronting fears, comforting your inner child, and healing wounds. Minerva’s style of quick, snappy lines feels reminiscent of Rupi Kaur, but she manages to back each short line with a lot of feeling. Darkness is present in many of the poems, but Minerva’s ability to balance it out with words of self-love, healing, and forgiveness brings an overall positivity to the collection. One theme I particularly admire is the acknowledgement and healing of one’s inner child being needed to properly parent the next generation and how a parent’s unhealed trauma can affect their own children. Minerva’s level of self-awareness, laid out in clear language, makes this poetry collection a relatable gem that anyone can use to open the door to self-reflection and healing.

—Tessa, allbooked@independent.com

UPCOMING BOOK EVENTS

Below, you will find a few bookish events coming up in Santa Barbara. If you are hosting a bookish event in Santa Barbara, be sure to submit the event to our online events calendar.

Storytime at Solvang Library
Tuesday, January 14, 10:30 a.m. | Solvang Library

Bilingual Songs & Stories for Kids
Tuesday, January 14, 11 a.m. | Eastside Library

Baby & Me Storytime
Wednesday, January 15, 11 a.m. | S.B. Central Library

Read to a Dog
Wednesday, January 15, 3 p.m. | Eastside LibraryGrace Fisher Foundation Book Club
Thursday, January 16, 1 p.m. | Grace Fisher Foundation Inclusive Arts Clubhouse

Wiggly Storytime
Thursday, January 16, 4:30 p.m. | S.B. Central Library

Book Talk: David Freed
Thursday, January 16, 6 p.m. | Chaucer’s Books

Poetry Book Club: Creature by Marsha de la O
Thursday, January 16, 6:30 p.m. | Timbre Books

Baby & Me Storytime
Friday, January 17, 10:30 a.m. | Goleta Valley Library

The Art of Ekphrastic Poetry Reading with David Starkey
Sunday, January 19, 2 p.m. | S.B. Central Library

Book Signing: Sky Bergman
Sunday, January 19, 3 p.m. | Chaucer’s Books

Preschool Storytime
Monday, January 20, 10 a.m. | Carpinteria Community Library

Storytime at Solvang Library
Tuesday, January 21, 10:30 a.m. | Solvang Library

Bilingual Songs & Stories for Kids
Tuesday, January 21, 11 a.m. | Eastside Library

Storytime at Solvang Library
Wednesday, January 22, 10:30 a.m. | Solvang Library

Wiggly Wednesdays
Wednesday, January 22, 10:30 a.m. | Goleta Valley Library

Baby & Me Storytime
Wednesday, January 22, 11 a.m. | S.B. Central Library

Read to a Dog
Wednesday, January 22, 3 p.m. | Eastside Library

Wiggly Storytime
Thursday, January 23, 4:30 p.m. | S.B. Central Library

Book Talk: Cameron Walker
Thursday, January 23, 6 p.m. | Chaucer’s Books

Baby & Me Storytime
Friday, January 24, 10:30 a.m. | Goleta Valley Library

William Stafford Community Reading
Saturday, January 25, 2 p.m. | Across from 3900 Paradise Rd., Los Padres National Forest

Book Talk: Mary Dorra
Sunday, January 26, 3 p.m. | Chaucer’s Books

Preschool Storytime
Monday, January 27, 10 a.m. | Carpinteria Community Library

S.B. SPOTLIGHT

We at the Independent get many books sent to us by area authors, sometimes too many! It’s practically impossible for us to read and review them all, but just because we are busy bees does not mean that they aren’t worth the attention. In an attempt to not completely drop the ball, we have compiled a list of books here that are either written by a Santa Barbara author, feature someone in our community, or have another tie to Santa Barbara. I urge you to look through this list. Perhaps you will find your new favorite read!

The following are the most recent titles that have been sent to us.

Russian Nonsensical by Edward D. Webster

Ruby’s Revenge by Christine Gallagher

If you are a local author and would like us to feature your book in this section, please email allbooked@independent.com with the subject line “S.B. Spotlight.”

Book Reviews Courtesy of CALIFORNIA REVIEW OF BOOKS*

Thanks to the generous contributions of David Starkey, Brian Tanguay and their team of reviewers at California Review of Books, we are able to provide a steady stream of book reviews via our content partnership. Recent reviews at Independent.com include:

Rental House by Weike Wang; review by George Yatchisin

*At the present time, all of the Independent’s book reviews are provided in collaboration with California Review of Books (calirb.com).