Book Review: "A Working Life" By Eileen Myles

"I'm something

unreliable 

and this 

is a day for

poetry."

—Eva, After Getting Off the Boat

Recently, I read Eileen Myles' new poetry collection, A "Working" Life on Hoopla. While I hadn't previously read anything by them, this 2023 release was a great place to start. The collection dives deep into Myles' understanding of their own gender and sexuality in a refreshingly honest voice.

I love when poets write verses that stop me from thinking any other thought but specific lines and words repeating in my mind. I often did this while reading the collection. A "Working Life" holds room for multiple emotions to be felt at once, which allows the reader to seek meaning in many separate ways.

"The poetry

of accident

haunts

like a circus

tent over

my days

and that 

fades 

and a new

one."

—March 3.

I find the idea of accidents being a poetic force that could haunt and fade and begin anew forever so wonderfully intriguing. There's an understanding of fate that manifests into what seems like acceptance. In the context of the whole poem, it feels like loving everything how it is, even if it might change. 

"every

experience

of being

& day

awakens 

me to the dif

ficulty

I change

my socks

I see

my feet

you don't 

so much

mind my flaws

I think 

at the

world

when I 

go out.women

in chairs

& couch

one of both

a tender

dog & actual

tears.

today

it snows.

we go

live"

—First Poem

I love the weird formatting Myles uses throughout the collection, but especially in this poem. They cut off most phrases and leave one-word lines, forcing the reader to really pay attention and focus on each word. The choice of cutting "difficulty" in half is so interesting. It's as if even getting the full word out in one take is too much work, emphasizing the stress they already feel. 

In the poem, Myles writes about how each day and every action is so difficult, but that the world doesn't seem to "mind my flaws." It's a beautiful love letter to the world that lets us live.

Through this collection, Eileen Myles gave me a small picture of their mind. It was a refreshing read and I look forward to reading even more of Myles in the future.

If you love poetry with unusual structure and meaningful emotions, Eileen Myles is for you and this book is a fantastic place to start! You can find it in the catalog or in Hoopla.

By Julie Higginbottom | Library Assistant Ⅲ, North Birmingham Regional Branch Library