We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite

Clayton has a lovely way with language and phrases, even if I didn't always understand what the poems were getting at.

I read this debut collection twice in quick succession. There’s powerful language here, mixed with a strong sense of disconnection that highlights the mystery and the critical examination the poet brings to everyday observations of relationships, addictions, art. A strong debut by a unique, distinctive voice. Highly recommended.

Conyer Clayton's "We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite", is a fabulous book of poetry covering a wide range of emotions and topics.. The topic of life and death is beautifully weaved together.

Conyer Clayton's debut full-length collection of poetry, "We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite" was a visual journey through the ups and downs of life. Her collection abounded with metaphors and imagery of childhood and the mental pictures that make up a life.

There is a mature depth to her work. It is not straightforward poetry, but requires some "digging" to uncover meaning and understanding. Some will bristle at this style of poetry. I believe with some hard work and an open mind most people appreciative of poetry as an art would enjoy this collection.

Ms. Clayton has previously published six other chapbooks, collaborated with Nathanael Larochette to produce an album, and her poetry has been featured in numerous magazines and literary publications.

I received this as an eBook from Guernica Editions via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the title. I did not receive any compensation from either company. The opinions expressed herein are completely my own.

There is a great deal of feel, more than I had anticipated. And now, now that this book has defied me - I will be dealing with more poetry for days to come. Better words are made out of poetry. But we must survive. Hadi Atallah, author of 'Rosemary Bluebell.'

This poetry collection was very interesting. There is poems that teach you life lessons and poems that were just absolutely beautiful. One of my favorite poems is this one: Your finger tracing my forehead, What are those eyes for? All back in your head and looking like death, a rehearsal in a parking lot, scolded for being in a tree with a drink — the only place I can see or feel clearly anymore, since you had to choose this month to apologize, to drop a faint and distant line then disappear again — into a fog of blonde hair and swollen skin. I don’t want this. I’d been breathing clearly for months. So I refuse, but refusal does nothing but repeat and convince, repeat and convince no one that I’ve dropped off clear, that I wade in the heavy air alone, suck noodles from a bowl. Cucumber and curry slip through the chopsticks, lost at the bottom. A fish living on sun. I enjoyed this collection as a whole it was an easy read and you didn’t have to read too far into anything to understand what the poet wanted you to see. Once again, I did really enjoy this collection and I do recommend it to anyone who likes poetry.

Clayton grabs the reader with prose that are uniquely hers in their vulnerability. While I did not connect with all of the collection, I can appreciate the lovely journey that is woven through Clayton's words. When those words did connect though, they really connected. The metaphors, heavy imagery, or hyperbole are perfectly placed and add just the right amount of feeling and tension. This collection is truly a journey of self, the transcendence of the singular self, and the revelations that come with self discovery through living your life. What is spectacular about collections like what Clayton has created here is that it is so relatable. It touches on those parts of human existence that run linear through experience. Like the poem "Convinced", we can understand, especially at our lowest moments how sometimes it is easier to be fine not only denying the reality to others but trying to deny it to ourselves.

Convinced
This is what was fine, this is what was
fine this is what was
- a faucet turned on
pouring itself out.
Cotton to soak the drip, because yes
we're all fine here -
move along
across the sea. Board
a plane with a set of cards, a handcrafted
game of island. I make trouble
in the next room so you can show
me hour it feels to touch a hand again,
all the photographs deleted.
It's hard to pas up and I never have
before, but suddenly my stomach
rejects what's been roasting
for some time now; a raindrop
on an air-conditioner to keep me
awake, to plug my ears with just
how fine I am, how great great I am
not concerned, no not
at all, not me
not me.

While I do believe this is a beautiful collection, the one negative I would have to point out is accessibility. I get that poetry is not for everyone, but I also think there has been an evolution in poetry that has made it more accessible for readers of every level. Reading through some of the critiques of this collection, that seemed to be a stand out criticism. For me personally, I loved the prose just they way they were written, but I can understand how it can be seen as a negative.

This was a great poetry book. I really enjoyed reading it. It was modern style poetry and well written. Some of the poems left me wanting more. There are poems about every day life, love, and some of the poems were a little on the dark side which I personally enjoy. I highly recommend this book to all poetry lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in return for an honest opinion.

"We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite" is a refreshing, even simple, in a kind of high-resolution photographic sense of the term, depiction of intimacy and identity. The experience of reading the poems is a bit like a twirling dance, where you move across the room being passed on from partner to partner but your gaze is always somewhere, moving from one detail to the next. It's the perfect kind of ambiguity and open-ended-ness that is abstract without becoming purposefully obtuse.

It really came down to the instinctive, almost gut feeling of being hooked, and while the opening section of Clayton's debut certainly did that to me, I didn't have the same kind of reaction further into the collection, so while I enjoyed "We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite" on a technical, poetic level, emotionally I wasn't quite on the same page.