BEING REFLECTED UPON Penguin Poets

Listening to Alice Notley read her own poetry is rather like visiting her mind. It may take a while to get used to the strange environment, but eventually one adapts and starts to feel comfortable. The poetry still requires attention and investigation, but it is rewarding. Notley's voice is intense and immediate, almost as though she is not reading the poems but improvising them in front of the microphone. The internal connections are associative rather than causal, tending to orbit the nominal subjects rather than driving straight toward them. Those who are willing to be swept away by the flood of words and ideas will enjoy a thrilling ride. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2024]