ON THE WAY OUT, TURN OFF THE LIGHT

Those who claim modern poetry is inaccessible are not reading--or listening to--Marge Piercy. Her poetry is not shallow, but it is clear and, at least on one level, easy to follow. Her readings, likewise, are strong and inviting. Piercy's diction is not always perfect, but, like the poetry, it is always authentically hers, and the slight flaws never get in the way of understanding. Her varied themes include politics (emphatically leftist), gender roles, Jewishness, womanhood, age, and mortality, all of which she approaches with a matter-of-factness that is one of the gifts of long and considered experience. Piercy shares her life with admirable honesty. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2020]