The Bottle Shop Poetry Book Club

▪️ July book selection:
Space Struck by Paige Lewis

▪️ Publisher’s summary:
Consider this glowing debut from Paige Lewis a menagerie of near-extinction. Space Struck explores the wonders and cruelties occurring within the realms of nature, science, and religion, with the acuity of a sage, the deftness of a hunter, and a hilarious sensibility for the absurd. The universe is seen as an endless arrow “. . . and it asks only one question: How dare you?” The poems are physically and psychologically tied to the animal world, replete with ivory-billed woodpeckers, pelicans, and constellations-as-organisms. They are also devastatingly human, anchored in emotion and self-awareness, like art framed in a glass that also holds one’s reflection. Silky and gruesome, the poems of Space Struck pulse like starlight.

▪️ More about our poetry book club:
Talking about poetry is a lot like talking about wine. They both demand only one thing: that you trust your senses. They’re subjective, personal, and despite what the experts say, there’s no way to be wrong. We’re not here to solve these poems, were here to enjoy and admire the expansiveness they create. You like what you like; there doesn’t have to be an ornate reason. Our goal isn’t to interrogate the text, but to read, discuss, and enjoy contemporary poetry in a living room setting.

So, whether you’re a lifelong reader or haven’t touched a poem since your “Beat Generation” phase in college; if you read the book cover to cover, twice, or just a couple lines; if you think you understand every poem, or don’t “get” any of it; well, that’s a great place to start the conversation and there’s a seat at The Bottle Shop Poetry Book Club for you.

“If you can enjoy a song without knowing music theory, you can enjoy this book club.” – Someone, eventually, probably.