No Matter the Wreckage

Sarah Kay is a spoken word poet, which means that her poetry is generally presented orally, as opposed to on paper. There are a number of differences between spoken-word poetry and written poetry (that I've picked up on anyways). On a practical level, a poem that is spoken benefits from being presented with the tempo and emphasis that the poet had in mind. It also benefits from hand gestures and the like which enhance the experience. (If you have not seen Sarah Kay perform any of her poems, check her out on YouTube, she's a great performer). There is also a distinction which relates to the poems themselves. Because listeners of spoken-word poetry do not have the benefit of being able to sit and read and reread a poem, the poet is forced to make sure that their metaphors and imagery come through strongly and are not overly obscure. I believe that this latter point is a reason that spoken-word poetry has become popular amongst many people are who are not real poetry fans. The poetry is (when done right) is thought provoking and inspired, while still being accessible. Most of us have had the experience of being forced to read poetry in school, laboring to find the "hidden meaning" that may or may not have been placed there intentionally... (Some survived to read another poem, others were traumatized for life.) Well crafted spoken-word poetry is generally easier to access. Considering this, I was unsure how the poetry would work on paper. On one hand the paper version cannot capture some of the elements that a presentation has to offer. On the other hand I figured that the accessibility of the poems would make for far more enjoyable reading than most poetry books. Ultimately I feel like my expectations were correct. Reading through the poems (to myself and out loud to family members) I found that I could not quite capture all of the magic that Sarah has when she presents her poems. (A number of the poems in the book can be found presented on YouTube, though many are being introduced to the world for the first time here on paper.) On the other hand, the chance to see the poems on paper provided an opportunity to dig into them in a way that listening does not quite offer and even on the poems I had listened to, I noticed components I had not before. Most importantly, the poems themselves are beautifully written, capturing a spectrum of ideas and topics in a really touching, personal fashion. I don't own many poetry books, but in my mind, this is poetry that both an expert on poetry and a casual reader can enjoy. For some I imagine reading the poetry will not compare to watching her present, but I think that that is a limitation of the medium, more than a complaint about the book. For a future book there may be value in considering whether playing with grammar, spacing, font and sizing changes etc. might help guide the reader a little more, but that's a matter of taste.

In the day and age of painfully boring Tumblr quotes and fortune-cookie platitudes, "No Matter The Wreckage" is like walking through a dim room and into sunlight. Sarah Kay throws a buoy out to those who are wading through various poetry books and anthologies trying to find something of substance and quality. This is not to place tiers onto writing, and more specifically poetry. I firmly hold that anyone should be given the access write what they want, as well as the ability to share their work. My hardship stems from pop culture's recent fascination with briefly written and easy-to-digest poetry. This has churned out many best-selling authors with little skill in their craft, and nearly no sincerity in their voice when they do speak. Heavy themes and topics shouldn't be treated in a way that poses flimsy answers and pseudo-heroic solutions. Yet we often find ourselves with poets that settle for the paths of least resistance. As an example: I did a few hours of mental gymnastics after reading "The Princess Saves Herself In This One", in an effort to understand how it was so widely adored. The words "The princess jumped from the tower & learned that she could fly all along. She never needed those wings" may forever be seared into my brain. I didn't hate it, nor was I appalled by the author's grapple with her own thoughts and convictions. I was just baffled that it was peddled as "gripping" and "gut-wrenching" poetry. It seemed fake-deep and void-of-effort, slightly self-agrandizing and reductive. I didn't want to feel pretentious, I just genuinely did not understand how the book was being heralded as life-changing. I immediately searched for something to cleanse the palate, or perhaps nourish my spirit for a bit. Okay, perhaps Lovelace's "Princess" wasn't for me. I would find something that spoke my language. Enter Sarah Kay, whose words stoked my imagination almost immediately. Functioning as a retelling of her life from childhood, as well as an invitation into a mindset of candor and curiousity, "No Matter The Wreckage" does an unspeakably excellent job of telling the story of one woman, and applying it to nearly anyone's eye blessed enough to grace the page. My paradigms felt challenged, yet Kay's way of careening around words and idea felt more like a hug and less like a chokehold. The warmth radiating from her words can't be materialized out of thin air, they have to be experienced firsthand. They have to be sat down and shaped. They need to be honest. I can't speak enough about how dear this book is to me, nor can I expend any more energy into thinking about poetry I don't like. I've found poetry I loved, and Sarah Kay's brilliant writing is just that.

Sarah Kay's voice in "No Matter the Wreckage" comes out clear and strong on page as she does in a spoken word poetry. Her poems are not as didactic as many other spoken word poets and have a lyric touch. Due to the nature of the spoken word poetry and its relationship to performance, often subtly and emotional resonance is softened for the blunt impact. Kay's poetry maintains that lyric softness but with absolute clarity. They are graceful and emotional both performed and on the page.

In high school, I had a few negative experiences interpreting poetry and cast the subject aside until I saw Sarah Kay’s TED Talk from March 2011. She recited a poem, called B, about her hopes and dreams for her future daughter, that instantly brought tears to my eyes. From then on, I was hooked and had to read the rest of the author’s poetry. No Matter the Wreckage is a collection of 61 poems, all beautifully written and poignant. The author discusses her summer vacations at beaches on Long Island, her trips to India to visit her mother’s family, her father’s career as a photographer, and her experiences growing up in New York City. Her poetry is beautiful because the reader feels as though they are in the moment the author is describing; the reader can feel the emotions written on the pages. There are, also, poems describing female liberation; from gender stereotypes, from relationships that did not work, from ideas about how a woman is supposed to live. There is a sincerity and quiet feminism in the poems pertaining to the author’s encounters with men. She approaches the situations from a place of wonder and hope: this is most readily displayed in The Type. Overall, this collection is a lovely read and brings much pause for reflection. It is not the type of collection to speed read or gloss over; but, perfect for a late Spring day in the shade of an oak tree. I highly recommend this book for those who feel apprehensive towards poetry and those who want to expand their knowledge of young poets.

Sarah Kay is best known for her spoken word poetry and her famous Ted talk. As a huge fan of her, I was worried that her spoken word poetry wouldn't translate well to the page. I was completely wrong. These poems are absolutely beautiful on the page - raw and honest. There's such a wide range of topics - family, friends, loved ones, history. There's poems that I recognize from her spoken word videos and ones that are entirely new to me and more typical for print poetry. There are long poems and short ones, but all the poems pack an emotional punch. Like her spoken word, the poems in "No Matter the Wreckage" are sweet and quiet, but behind them there is heartbreak, family history, abuse, mentions of politics, and so, so much heart. They may come in a pretty wrapper, but make no mistake - Sarah Kay's work is not to be underestimated. "No Matter the Wreckage" has given me chills, and I recommend it to everyone.

I first saw Sarah Kay on her very first Ted talk back in 2011 when she performed, If I Should Have a Daughter, and was completely blown away. She is one of the few poets to come along in a long while who makes poetry seem like an everyday conversation rather than its loftier brethren, who make you feel you have to be wearing your Sunday best to hear/read. I was worried that in reading Sarah instead of hearing her might lessen the experience of her poetry, but I could clearly hear her voice as I read through the poems in this volume. What makes Sarah so great is not only the accessibility of her work, but the turns of phrases that immediately conjure an image you wish you had thought of. And you know exactly what she means. She can make you laugh out loud, touch you deeply and make everything seem like it's going to be OK. This is a solid series of poems from a young and exciting poet and I can't wait to see where she heads next.

I fell in love with the spoken poetry of Sarah Kay with her TED Talk, Point B. As a mother (and specifically a mother of a young girl) Sara's words touched my very soul. So when she announced the release of No Matter the Wreckage, I pre-ordered and as soon as it arrived, I read it from cover to cover. I was hooked. This woman is gifted. Not just talented but truly gifted. Her poems are contemporary; her themes touch on love, family, and the mundane. The magic happens with something you cannot see, but rather "hear". The way Ms. Kay weaves the words together, you can't help but hear how the poems flow. There are dramatic pauses. Quick and slower beats. Not always a climax where you expect it to be. Surprising and wonderful. I look forward to following her success and will be a lifelong fan.

Sarah Kay is a spoken-word poet with an amazing and powerful range of thought, emotion and insight. Check out her performances on YouTube, and you'll see what I mean. This collection includes many of her performance pieces along with others I haven't seen performed. I approached this collection with a bit of trepidation. Spoken-word poetry depends heavily on the performance, and Sarah Kay is an amazing performer. I wondered if the words alone might fall a bit flat. Didn't happen. The words are powerful all by themselves. If you can get through these poems without a knot in your throat, a tear in your eye or a laugh on your lips, then there's something wrong with your throat, your eye or your lips.

Maravilhoso!

I had been waiting for it for almost a year. Pre orders weren't possible here in India on major online retails. Neither did they do an instant update on bringing it up when it was released. But man when I got on it! It was a beast on his feast. I had been highly dejected when I had bought her 'B', not knowing that it contained just one poem that I had had already listened to in spoken word, and that too for almost 500 bucks(I gifted my mom, on the mother's day). I looked for signs like 'collection of stories' before making my mind to buy it and finally I did , and voila! I wasn't disappointed. I was famished, she writes so fresh, and so effortless is reading her(apart from the time of contemplation and making up the interpretations of poems/ lines that are mystic, obviously). 6/5 from me. I'll tell you how much l liked it - I always sign a book I have bought, with the signature I long to put in my first book(whenever that will be), I didn't in this case, it was too beautiful to be spoiled. Absolutely stunning and quintessential free verses, that literally runs through my veins, and will continue to till I get varicose veins. This book is also special , because she was the first poet I ever listened to. If you are a poet/ a reader or not, just buy it! Worth your limited time on this earth and the ever evading money.

Awesome poetry, awesome poet. A real must in your bookshelves. Sarah is so talented that her poem stays in the room with you. Each line roars or whispers, but each line is full of sound. A spoken poetry expert like her can make a poetry book speak by itself.

I discovered Sarah Kay on YouTube. The passion with which she read her poems was amazing. There was so much energy you could almost feel it bursting forth from the screen. I just had to read this book after that. I thought on paper her poems might seem flat and lack that excitement and passion she had conveyed with ease on screen. Pleasingly that wasn't the case. This collection is vibrant, exciting, bursting with life and energy. I have read poetry books by many young poets, mostly women. On the whole they have been good with a few outstanding poems but I haven't been left feeling a sense of loss at the end or a sense of longing to read more, much more. This collection is different. There are poems about so many different subjects here all carefully constructed and eloquently written. These poems feel modern and fresh. They are most definitely poems for today's generation. Sarah creates poems that make you laugh out loud as well as poems that make you cry. Her words really do resonate on so many different levels. This collection was so much better than I was expecting. Every poem was worthy of its place in the book. There were no poems that felt lame or that didn't hold interest. If you like poets like Rupi Kaur then I feel Sarah Kay will entertain you. For me her poems felt more challenging to read. I just want to read this collection again now and really absorb every poem.

Written so beautifully. Stunning imagery and emotion. Exciting and relaxing all at once.