I bought this on a whim at the Dollar Store and never looked back. With phrases such as the above, Belle and Calamity give voice to a ton of very feminine and very valid concerns - in fact, I've 'bitch-sessioned' some of those very same comments myself with gal pals. Fun. Thought-provoking. Some things made me laugh. Others made me cry. The illustrations fit the tone of the book - tough, wildly feminine, yet curiously private. A wonderful book.

I don't know if finding this at the dollar store is good or bad overall... definitely added to its charm. Either way, this is a great book: just enough pop-culture refs (Thelma & Louise, Elvis,..) and southwestern kitsch without overdoing it, while still having something genuine to say undermeath. The Warhol-esque illustrations are great. Great for all ages (read : not just acceptable, GREAT)

In her lovely cycle of poems written from the point of view of the deserted Araidne, Molly Bendall offers much of what we've come to expect from her; the characteristic elegance, the amazing control of language, and the cutting undercurrent of wry humor.
In this book she takes more stylistic risks, deepening her use of the fragment, and moving ever more quickly from tone to tone. It's amazing that so much can "happen" (at least emotionally) to this character in such a static state (deserted on an Island). I highly recommend this book; it will captivate and move you.

Book Review on Molly Bendall's Dark Summer

The poems in Molly Bendall's book Dark Summer deal primarily with the sexual experience. She seems to be infatuated with the topic referring to it in one way or another in just about every poem. Her constant references to sex leads the reader to suspect that she is speaking largely from personal experiences and frustrations with it Despite this overbearing emphasis on the sexual nature of humanity other value can be taken from the book. The poems describe relationships. In so doing, the reader can gain insight into the characters of the poems, and hence themselves. By looking past the sexual emphasis much can be learned from relationships in general. Bendall's poems often illustrate the dichotomy of existing and broken relationships. She describes the benefits that everyone desires yet their sad, oppressive, and fragile side as well. Overall, the book is an interesting read. Unlike many modern contemporary poems, most of Bendall's poems have a story line that the reader can decipher. The typical reader can relate in one way or another to many of her poems in the themes that they express.

What do most young men and women expect from the summer? They want beaches, no school, cold beer, and hot nights. Also, they expect a steamy summer love. You know, one of those relationships where two curious youths spend their days rolling in the sand, and the night rolling in each other's arms. The typical summer love is purely a physical experiment into newly discovered body parts and emotions. Once the summer draws to a close, the two young lovers move away from each other, only after one more sunset tryst by the water. They spend the next couple months dreaming of each other and the time they spent in the summer, but with little emotional attachment to each other. As many victims of summer romances realize, these relationships are not so easy to break away from. Young hearts are fragile and can shatter when they are forced to separate from their first love simply because the leaves change. In her book Dark Summer, Molly Bendall examines these relationships with a series of poems. Through her poetry, she describes how the heat and passion of summer can create serious emotional ties within young lovers. These are ties that are not as easy to let go of as some may expect. For anyone interested in exploring this side of love, I highly suggest Molly Bendall's Dark Summer.

Dark Summer is a wonderful book of poems; on the surface, the poems shimmer with elegance and luminous language that's almost seamless in its beauty. Beneath the surface lurks a more complicated tone, often tongue in cheek, almost savage. There is much more to Bendall's poems than initially meets the eye, like much good poetry, they reveal themselves slowly, and will reward the patient, careful reader.