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river woman
river woman | Katherena Vermette
15 posts | 7 read | 4 to read
Governor Generals Awardwinning Mtis poet and acclaimed novelist Katherena Vermettes second work of poetry, river woman, examines and celebrates love as postcolonial action. Here love is defined as a force of reclamation and repair in times of trauma, and trauma is understood to exist within all times. The poems are grounded in what feels like an eternal present, documenting moments of clarity that lift the speaker (and reader) out of our preconceptions of historical time, while never losing a connection to history. This is what we mean when we describe a work of art as being timeless. Like the river they speak to, these poems return again and again to the same source in search of new ways to reconstruct what has been lost. Vermette suggests that its through language and the body particularly through language as it lives inside the body that a fragmented self might resurface as once again whole. This idea of breaking apart and coming back together is woven throughout the collection as the speaker revels in the physical pleasures of learning Anishnaabemowin (the language / I should have already known), as she contemplates the ongoing negotiation between the natural world and urban structures, and as she finds herself falling into trust with the ones she loves. Divided into four sections, and written in her distinctively lean and elegantly spare style, where short lines belie the depth within them, river woman explores Vermettes relationship to nature its destructive power and beauty, its timelessness, and its place in human history. Here is a poet who is a keen observer of an environment that is both familiar and otherworldly, where her home is alive with the sounds and smells of the land it grows out of, where Words / transcend ceremony / into everyday and Nothing / is inanimate.
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TheKidUpstairs
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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1. Yup! If I really love a book, I want to have a copy on my shelf. Just finished the tagged poetry collection on OverDrive and I'll definitely be getting my own copy.

2. Reading multiple books at once!

@TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 😍📚🌞 4y
36 likes1 comment
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TheKidUpstairs
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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A spot of poetry while I pan fry. Dinner's almost ready!

JennyM Enjoy 😊 4y
57 likes1 comment
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elizabethlk
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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xicanti
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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Part 1 of my 2019 Long List, presented in reading order rather than order of preference.

4.5 stars is my loved-the-hell-out-of-it rating. 5-star reads are the ones I loved so much I‘m incoherent and/or verbose about them.

bookishnerd Witchmark is one of my favs for 2019, too! Thanks for telling me to read it!! 4y
xicanti @bookishnerd I will never stop pushing that book on people. 4y
40 likes2 comments
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llwheeler
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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Finally grabbed Wilson's Odyssey translation & my own copy of river woman - my fave poetry collection of at least the past year. And as a result, I have to rearrange some shelves. 😍

I'm metaphorically rolling in books today! Gus of course is literally rolling on them, and Callie is supervising as usual (see toes) #catsofLitsy

Dragon 😻 5y
CouronneDhiver Rolling in books. I like it. Lol 5y
See All 7 Comments
valeriegeary Such drama! 😆 5y
Eyelit Kittehs always gotta lay some kind of claim! 😹😻 5y
llwheeler @Eyelit haha so true! 5y
55 likes7 comments
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xicanti
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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I meant to do a Standout Canadian Books Of 2019 post for Canada Day, but I kind of forgot. Oops. Here‘s one for Bastille Day Eve instead, which is actually better timing since my Canada Day spread wouldn‘t have included new discoveries Alicia Elliott and Rachel Reid.

Spoiler alert: river woman and HEATED RIVALRY are both shoe-ins for my overall Best of 2019 list.

review
elizabethlk
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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Pickpick

Half as Much by Katherena Vermette was our last #litereads pick for #indigenoushistorymonth and chosen with #canadaday in mind as well. This story is about an elderly Metis man as he learns of the Supreme Court ruling recognizing the Metis as Indians under the constitution. I'm a big dan of the author, and this story was no exception. My full review is available at the link below. Let us know what you thought of this one.

https://wp.me/p9KSXu-ep

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elizabethlk
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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Our latest #litereads selection is Half As Much by Katherena Vermette, our final pick for #indigenoushistorymonth and also chosen with #canadaday in mind. I'm looking forward to this short story focused on an elderly Metis man as the country learns of the Supreme Court decision to recognise Metis as Indians under the constitution. You can find a link to read the story in our full post below. Let us know what you think!

https://wp.me/p9KSXu-ek

review
DreesReads
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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Pickpick

In this poetry collection Vermette focuses on rivers and on being Metis. Rivers are constant yet changing, mixing and growing. The Metis belong and miss what is gone and going. These poems are spare, most lines are fewer than 4 words. But the words are powerful. I heard about this book on the @ReadingEnvy podcast. #nativecanadian #metis

Cinfhen A lot of people are reading this book by the same author and loving it 5y
Cinfhen They both work for #Booked2019 #IndigenousAuthor 5y
DreesReads @Cinfhen I do want to read her novel, I really am into novels more than poetry, but I was feeling motivated. And poetry is usually quicker and I already have a pile on my nightstand!! Glad to here people are liking it!! 5y
28 likes3 comments
review
lisakoby
river woman | Katherena Vermette
Pickpick

Excellent. Moving and beautiful.

#poetry #canadareads #candianpoetry

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xicanti
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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February was yet another month where I logged very little until the end, when I got my hands on some comics and finally finished two enormous things (hey there, THE TALE OF GENJI and THE SUN SWORD).

I'm disappointed with my minuscule TBR reduction. I did read stuff from my stash, but I also borrowed a bunch of Canada Reads titles from the library and kinda forgot my Cupid Goes Postal package was liable to contain books. Oops

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Great job!! 📖💖 5y
Erofan 👍👍👍 5y
30 likes2 comments
blurb
xicanti
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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I almost never reread books within a year, but I had to experience this one again before I took it back.

review
xicanti
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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Pickpick

I devoured Katherena Vermette's latest poetry collection in one sitting. She shares truths I recognize as someone who lives on this land and walks along this river, and she shares truths I need to hear as a colonizer. Her words flow like water, unconstrained and purposeful. They break down, and they restore.

I never rate poetry unless the work forces me to. This one gets my first 5-star rating of 2019. #caseyplusbooks

mreads The library sticker right over the title 😡. My library puts them over the description on the back - why? So maddening 5y
xicanti @mreads mine used to put the barcode on the back, but they switched about ten years ago because all the patrons brought their books to the counter with the covers facing up and the librarians kept getting repetitive strain injuries from flipping them over. 5y
37 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
llwheeler
river woman | Katherena Vermette
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Pickpick

Finished this a couple of days ago (and with it, finished #poetrychallenge2018! Yay! Loved reading poetry throughout the year, and ended on a strong note as this is my favourite of all the ones I read).

I held off reviewing this cause I didn't know how yet, but I still don't. So... I loved this, it's my favourite sort of poetry. I'll be getting my own copy to revisit, and checking out the rest of Vermette's work. And that cover! So gorgeous.

Crazeedi I love this cover! 5y
37 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Babs_book_obsession
river woman | Katherena Vermette
Pickpick

Some love poems, some sad poems, some political poems, but all are touching beautiful poems.