Lisa Olstein centers on female experience and the body, exploring the complexities of identity and human existence with piercing honesty. Her prose is lyrical and introspective, delving into profound emotions and thought-provoking ideas. Olstein aims to dismantle conventional narratives, uncovering hidden truths about the human psyche and societal structures. Her work is an invitation to consider ourselves and the world we inhabit more deeply.
This poetry collection by Lisa Olstein showcases her unique voice and perspective, exploring themes of identity, nature, and the human experience. Through vivid imagery and emotional depth, the poems invite readers to reflect on personal and universal truths, making it a compelling read for both poetry enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
An intimate and revelatory voyage through pain and perception, pop culture and personal experience
In an interview, Lisa Olstein has said, "I don't want poetry to limit itself to reflecting or recapitulating experience; I want it to be an experience." In her daring new book, an unnamed lepidopterist—living in a hut on the edge of an unidentified village—is drawn ever deeper into unexpected engrossing worlds. Structured as a naturalist's notebook, yet suggesting an ars poetica, this five-part sequence of prose poems creates a layered pilgrimage into the consequences of intensive study, the trials of being an outsider, and the process of metamorphosis. Along with the speaker's enigmatic companion Ilya, who arrives one day and never leaves, the reader embarks on a journey through the paradoxes that imbue desire, the waywardness of intention, and the power of experience to transform.