I don't often start a review by saying that a book reminded me of something else, but this gorgeous book of poetry was accompanied by a haunting song that I heard sung live several years ago. The Wailin Jennys introduced a song that they had recently written called "Starlight." The women explained that, in their native province, scandal had broken when it had been revealed that police were picking up First Peoples' women late at night, and leaving them to die in the cold miles from home.
The words of Marilyn Dumont's THE PEMMICAN EATERS feel like the pull of the bow across the string of the fiddle, the high notes hit by a woman in childbirth, the clutch at one's heart when one hears bad news. The words are gorgeous as the matters they call to mind are hard to think with, hard to let in; for me, I needed the melody of someone else's song so that I could try to translate how Dumont's words made me feel.
Rather than quote from a poem out of context, even though the words are capable of standing on their own, I will suggest that you purchase this book and support the work of this artist.
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