Landlocked

Landlocked by Julia McConnell is a stunning poetry collection that pays homage to Oklahoma, in the sense that McConnell captures both what made this place home and how it became the place which made her realise she did not belong there.

McConnell's writing explores the complexities tied into place, particularly places of our formative years, and brilliantly demonstrates the dichotomy she experienced in Oklahoma. It was a place which nurtured with a thriving and comforting natural landscape, and it was a place of prejudice, racism, ignorance and homophobia. The speaker's torn response is palpable with every piece. There is no doubt of McConnell proving how something can be both cherished and let go.

"Exist in the in-between / enter a world unknown. unclipped word wings moving inside, / aware of the many angles of truth." [Graciela Says]

Particular favourites of mine were poems like 'An Education', which swiftly revealed the holes in our history, it being written by the victors and taught by those in power, being juxtaposed with poems like 'Boundless' which revealed our need for belonging, for home, and for the courage to discover it ourselves if the place we always called home is no longer a place to survive.

"Home is a loose tooth. / You still can't tell by looking / if the tide is coming in or going out." [On Why You Should Change Your Life Every Seven Years]

Finally, McConnell's poetic voice is also very refreshing, with the linguistic prowess of a writer well-versed in their craft, alongside a confessional tone which places the person, their thoughts and feelings, at the centre of every piece.

An absolutely gorgeous collection! This bridges the land between Midwestern and Southern Gothic, and I loved the overt and rich metaphors. Queerness is entwined throughout every environment and description in the most beautiful way, with intense humanity and honesty.

Unapologetic and brutal in its honesty, Landlocked holds a mirror and dares you to see anything except exactly what hurts the worst: prolonged longing and sitting out of place until both burrow like a splinter.

Through the wild, wide vistas and intimate vignettes, McConnel’s work is immediate and visceral, keeping readers grounded with cutting, insightful language. There is something both carnal and spiritual happening within Landlocked and there’s no safety net: you see and feel so deeply, it can’t be ignored.

A staggering collection, McConnel’s Landlocked will be a steadfast favorite that follows you around long after you’ve put it down.

Thank you NetGalley, Michigan State University Press, and Wheelbarrow Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Julia McConnell is a new voice of queer poetry. The collection reminded me, in its tone and rhythm, of Andrea Gibson.

Loved this collection of poetry by a lesbian librarian originally from (landlocked) Oklahoma, the poems are witty, relatable and poignant. An important voice against the backdrop of increased prejudice. I enjoyed the playfulness, the different styles from Tennessee Williams to Elizabeth Bishop and the love poem to her Jack Russell. Wonderful.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Landlocked, Julia McConnell explores themes of living in the South, queerness, growing up, travel, and self-discovery.

Favorite poems:
- Tennessee Williams Speaks to Joe Exotic about the Southern Gothic
- The Next-to-Last Lesbian Bar in Oklahoma City
- Damnation Isn't a Bad Word Cuz They Say It in Church
- Elizabeth Bishops Reads My Horoscope
- Notes on Sky-Watching
- Last Day of 37
- Books, Boots, and the Blank Page
- On Why You Should Change Your Life Every Seven Years
- A Brief History of Information

Landlocked is a beautiful exploration of what it means to question the places that comprise us. It questions how the places we are from shape us, and how we both celebrate and challenge this shaping. The poems are a dance between love and loss, community and isolation, joy and sadness. Ultimately, these poems are a personal exploration of life in a time of social uncertainty, when everyone feels adrift and questioning. In true poetic form, one path that Landlocked presents is that we all need to find the "poem [we] need to write."