Henrietta Goodman’s book Antilla takes its title from a phantom island that appeared on 15th century maps. The lush poems in Antilla (The Backwaters Press) continually question what is here and what isn’t, through ghostly presences. In “What Are We Going to Turn Into?” Goodman even refers to her son as pop culture’s friendly ghost after he has a scary stint in the hospital, thinking:


…how Gabriel’s father used to go around shirtless with huge
muscles and a huge grin calling my son Casper, how we laughed
together, and I’m thinking about that question, based on
the simplest metaphor I know, the only one that matters.



Goodman explores what/who is real again in the wonderfully feverish title poem:



https://www.poetrynw.org/henrietta-goodman-antillia/



Congratulations, Henrietta!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Maybe 3.25-3.75 stars is a more accurate rating? 3.5 to split the difference? This book wasn't necessarily my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean that it's not worth a read. There are a number of incredibly hard hitting lines throughout the book that I very much liked. Here's a couple of my favorites:

"No cost to me or him, except my fear-- / gestating, unattached."

and

"You know I can't talk about lost boys without / talking about my son."

I have more but don't want this review to be entirely quotes. The description of this book talked about the ideas of ghosts/memories/grief, and that is absolutely an accurate reflection of the text. Overall, it very much gives the sense of being haunted; references to past lovers and sons and others lost over the passage of time. That's absolutely what kept me reading and why I don't regret taking the time to read it.

The part where one's mileage may very/where it wasn't really cup of tea was more stylistic choices than anything else. Beyond the ghosts/memories/grief theme (and sometimes even then,) I had trouble tracing as coherent a through line as I tend to prefer with poetry. The poems itself were more a polished stream of consciousness that occasionally made it feel like there were abrupt shifts between stanzas, even though you can usually see the connections upon a couple rereads. This might be an intentional choice, as the sense of disconnect lends to a floating/adrift feeling that definitely serves the overall ghosts/grief theme. Because the poems are so layered with references to other texts, events in the author's life, and possibly other poems within the book itself, it gives a view into the author's mind that feels simultaneously intimate and a level removed.

Overall, I'd recommend readers take a look at few poems first to see if it works well with their reading preferences. If it's your cup of tea, I feel like it could be an enjoyable read because of the standout lines throughout.

Despite my love of poetry, I did not find this book particularly engaging. I am not sure why. Goodman is a talented writer; it was not the language or voice that I did not connect with, nor was the subject matter offensive. Perhaps it was not the right time for me to read this book. I intend to revisit it as it is unusual for me to be wholly disinterested in a book such as this. Goodman writes of love, loss, transformation, and identity, inviting readers to examine the journey of her experiences. This was not a bad book by any means, and I do recommend it. In fact, I would like to learn others' thoughts on it.