GOD
LOVES YOU by Kathryn Maris
(published by SEREN,
ISBN9781781720356)
Kathryn
Maris is a poet and tutor who taught poetry writing at the Hurst ARVON in
August, 2014. In her workshop, I remember reading of Jason Schneiderman, Pascale
Petit, Deryn Rees-Jones, etc. Her lecture was at high level, really stimulating.
Prior to the
latest collection The House with Only an
Attic and a Basement, I want to write my impressions to her previous one God Loves You (of course I would introduce
the former I love too on this blog later).
The collection
brings fragrances of London and New York. Reading it, I feel as if drinking
Steuben Wine at The Bolton Pub in Earls Court. And a depiction on a poet Denise
Levertov comes into my mind: when Levertov moved from the UK to the US, it took
a long time for her to get used to American poetry. Although Kathryn Maris moved from
New York to London oppositely to Levertov, I think from some poems that there might have been puzzlement like her in a
new place, London. Further, there are a lot of poems on God and Bible and this strongly
attracts me. My favourite is ‘Will You Be My Friend, Kate Moss?’ and I can
imagine Maris’ parenting, writing in New York from the poem.