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Swoon
What does it mean to be a woman—a lover, mother and artist? In Swoon, Redel tackles the question of Eros as it animates domestic life. These are poems unafraid to embrace the sweetness of difficulty and the difficult sweetness of intimacy. Using short and extended lyric, prose poem, circular narrative, Redel refuses formal categorization, demanding of poetry a complex and textured vision of the female experience. Swoon is a robustly sexy, intelligent, daring book of poems.
- GenresPoetry
72 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
About the author
Victoria Redel
18books123followersVictoria Redel is the author of three books of poetry and five books of fiction. Her new novel, Before Everything, was published by Viking Penguin in June 2017 and is forthcoming in the U.K., France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Turkey and China. Her novel The Border of Truth (Counterpoint 2007,) weaves the situation of refugees and a daughter’s awakening to the history and secrets of her father’s survival and loss. It was a Barnes and Noble Great New Writers Discovery Selection. Loverboy (2001, Graywolf /2002, Harcourt), was awarded the 2001 S. Mariella Gable Novel Award and the 2002 Forward Silver Literary Fiction Prize and was chosen in 2001 as a Los Angeles Times Best Book. Loverboy was adapted for a feature film directed by Kevin Bacon. Swoon (2003, University of Chicago Press), was a finalist for the James Laughlin Award. Her work has been widely anthologized and translated. Redel’s fiction, poetry and essays have appeared in numerous magazines and journals including Granta.com. Harvard Review, The Quarterly, The Literarian, The New York Times, The L.A. Times, O the Oprah magazine, Elle, Bomb, More and NOON.
Redel is on the graduate and undergraduate faculty of Sarah Lawrence College. She has taught in the Graduate Writing Programs of Columbia University and Vermont College. Redel was the McGee Professor at Davidson College. She has received fellowships from The Guggenheim Foundation, The National Endowment For The Arts and the Fine Arts Work Center.
Victoria Redel was born in New York. She is a first generation American of Belgian, Rumanian, Egyptian and Russian and Polish descent. She attended Dartmouth College (BA) and Columbia University (MFA).
Redel is on the graduate and undergraduate faculty of Sarah Lawrence College. She has taught in the Graduate Writing Programs of Columbia University and Vermont College. Redel was the McGee Professor at Davidson College. She has received fellowships from The Guggenheim Foundation, The National Endowment For The Arts and the Fine Arts Work Center.
Victoria Redel was born in New York. She is a first generation American of Belgian, Rumanian, Egyptian and Russian and Polish descent. She attended Dartmouth College (BA) and Columbia University (MFA).
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 29, 2022
Wanted to get my hands on a copy after hearing Redel read “Bounty.” The second section of the book (on the beauty and mystery and majesty in all the little moments of motherhood, childhood, growing up) obviously became my favorite. Redel can pack so much imagery in a line!
November 15, 2011
Victoria Redel's poetry collection, Swoon, is filled with epiphany and honesty, representing what it means to be a girl, woman, mother, and sexual being. Not afraid to mention a "hole to shit it" (literally), Redel's words are eloquent and vibrant, and can seem to switch between tones effortlessly and fluently. I hope to one day attain the degree of honesty Redel is able to so gracefully weave into her Poetry.
December 7, 2009
University of Chicago Press has never let me down, and Swoon is no exception. I'm loyal and Redel is a fresh addition to their press. Normal, yet surprising. At times minimalist but always vivid. This makes me curious about her fiction...
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July 18, 2016Several pieces with two-word titles, the second word being 'woman'. Much talk of children.
My favorites:
"Where We..." - she uses the word though
"Where She Goes" - a divorced woman
"Tilted Woman" - Tony Bennett
My favorites:
"Where We..." - she uses the word though
"Where She Goes" - a divorced woman
"Tilted Woman" - Tony Bennett
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews