January 1, 2021
In her third book (following Hard Child, 2017), Shapero's shrewd pacing and curiosity sharpen one's attention. Here the oddities of our very human lives are keenly observed in bright lyric perfection. In an interview, Shapero mused about "how and why people display photos of themselves in their own homes . . . as a way to remember someone who has died"; "Five by Seven" is the off-beat poem that results. There she writes, "Really, when people have photographs of themselves / displayed on their walls, I just assume / they have died and it is their ghosts / who've invited me over."" Shapero's insights are bold, metaphysical, and serpentine. "Long Wedding" is a contemplative example of how she sees past the the trappings of ordinary existence while attending that particular ceremony to what she describes as "Pitiless and ambulant and tacky." "Don't Spend It All in One Place," the book's longest poem, is a masterful romp through Shapero's quick-witted and asymmetrical mode of thinking. It's funny and serious all at once, like so much of our lives.
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