I got my first 2-star ⭐️ ⭐️ review

And it kind of cracks me up

My first chapbook was published a few years ago through a small press. It was available only through their website, which doesn’t include reviews. So when my newest chapbook launched with an Amazon listing, I was nervous and curious to read what folks would have to say (if anyone said anything at all).

At first, the reviews were wonderful and heartening—all 4 or 5 stars accompanied by kind sentiments. And they came from strangers! This was amazing. But I told myself that I needed a few bad reviews, too. It was a rite of passage, an inevitability, and maybe a signifier that the book was reaching a wider audience.

When my first 3-star review arrived, I took it worse than expected. The main issue was that the reviewer characterized my work in a way that I particularly don’t want to be characterized. I felt defensive, indignant. “If only they’d had a problem with anything else!” I’d thought.

A few weeks later, an even lower review arrived—2 stars. But this time, I didn’t mind at all. This reader’s feedback didn’t seem unfair or inaccurate, the work just wasn’t for them. That’s okay. Plus, they included the following line, which I found completely hilarious and rather joyful:

“The author seems obsessed with birds but I don’t quite know what to make of it.”

I mean, that is gold. “This person is writing a lot of weird and confusing shit about birds,” is not something I will ever mind hearing. I am obsessed with birds, and I know my brain is weird. If you enjoy strange imagery and feel intrigued by a bit of fog and bewilderment, then you’re much more likely to enjoy my work.

On the bird front, here is a small, relevant poem from Feathered Throat, which one reviewer already quoted in its entirety on Amazon anyway:

When my heart opens,
feathers pour out, float skyward,
kiss the open air…

This is the truth.

author’s photo