DOWN AND OUT ON A YACHT - DELPHINE BEDIENT

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This is a small, 66 pages, little chapbook thing I bought on a whim at a holiday DIY zine thing. Seattle has so many of these events it seems foolish not to take advantage. I appreciate that the publishing house, Two Plum Press out of Portland, from who’s table I purchased this book, included short, succinct descriptions of the titles for sale. Typically at these things the books/zines/chapbooks are just placed out (to be fair, they are usually really artfully displayed) and you don’t really have any idea what any of them are about. I don’t have infinite money and my hands are frequently covered in rare oils and whatnot so I liked that I didn’t have to paw through all of these to get a book that looked good. I picked this one out because it promised short 2nd person stories. The second person is underused and can allow for all sorts of interesting little tricks. For instance, I, of course, read the “you” of these stories as me and thus, a man. Every time the narrative would contradict that it would make me quickly readjust my reading in a way that felt novel. Likewise, I initial didn’t think the “you” of the different stories (the book is 66 one-or-two-page chapters) was the same person. I know this seems weird since I definitely would have thought an “I” narrator was consistent across chapters. But the book reads fast and you quickly come to someone understand the “you”. She drifts and makes observations and experiences romantic pain. There are some beautiful images of not wanting to get out of bed and quick flashes of forces larger than yourself. I enjoyed it. I should read more contemporary poetry anyway. 66 poems.