Coda / postscript / situating note
This year has seen instances where literary criticism suffered from failures to consider who the best reviewers may be to offer connected, insightful responses to new books. In attempting to paint a broad picture of the rich variety of writing in Aotearoa over one turn of the Gregorian calendar year, some of the works that left strong impressions on me speak to experiences beyond my full ken as a youngish, cis, bi, Pākehā woman. Where I have read as someone outside of the communities a given book might speak to foremost, I am here to register my awe and adorations of poetry that moved me, and hope not to have overstepped in my reckons. If my milquetoast summaries spark your interest, I encourage you to explore other in-depth reviews in the likes of Metro Magazine, the Pantograph Punch, Landfall and The Spinoff – or engage directly with these authors in their own words by picking up the books.
Additional reading
DJ on NZ poetry
Ash Davida Jane. ‘Unprecedented: New Zealanders are buying large amounts of local poetry’. The Spinoff, 11 July 2022. Online.
Everyone on essa
Multiple authors. ‘Aroha for essa’. The Spinoff, 24 July 2022. Online.
Rahurahu on Ranapiri
Michelle Rahurahu Scott on essa may ranapiri. ‘essa + ECHIDNA: In Which a Friend Finally Gives Back’. 25 July 2022, Bad Apple dot gay. Online.
Latham on Gildea and Wood
Arihia Latham. ‘Poems as Memory’. 1 December 2022, Landfall Review. Online.
McKay on Gildea and Keeble
Laura Jean McKay. ‘The grief of birds’: The ecopoetry of Anahera Maire Gildea (Sedition) and Michaela Keeble (Surrender). Plumwood Mountain Journal, 2022. Online.
Tumai on Kaho
Kahu Tumai. ‘HEAL-ing: A Response to Simone Kaho’s HEAL!’, 6 October 2022, Pantograph. Online.
Crofskey on Tse
Vanessa Mei Crofskey. ‘Review: Super Model Minority by Chris Tse’. 5 July 2022, Metro Magazine. Online.
Hawkes on Chung
Rebecca Hawkes. ‘Give it up for Cadence Chung’. 5 May 2022, The Spinoff. Online.
Hawkes on Ascroft
Rebecca Hawkes. ‘DISMANTLING THE CROQUEMBOUCHE: LAUNCHING THE STUPEFYING BY NICK ASCROFT’. 27 September 2022, Te Herenga Waka Press. Online.
