Customer Reviews

Blood Sugar

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

have you seen the reviews for this book? I don't want to let the Amazon crowd down, but I like Blackman's work, so I think I'll skip the opportunity for an ironic review (i.e., the "Her poetry is so cute and fluffy!" write-up) or the huckster shot about diabetes, and just tell you I liked the book.

Nicole Blackman entered my world as a voice on a mix tape... I rewound "Dogma" over and over again. She is the only reason I own a KMFDM album; the band must have gotten tired of using their own name as lyrics, and hired a poet. The song is a hard kick in the teeth.

It took some searching to find out who the voice on that song belonged to, a little more to find out who Nicole Blackman was, and an order to buy the Golden Palominos CD that showcases her. There's that voice again, and it can purr and ice and seduce as well as seethe.

When I read this book, I hear that voice. I don't know if I'd have been so drawn to her if I had been handed a book instead of a tape, but I can easily settle into Blood Sugar and the range it offers.

Yes: "Range." Blood on the cover doesn't necessarily mean that the book is filled melancholy cliches-- it isn't readily apparent from reading the book weather or not she's a big Cure fan. Though she never traipses around in Hallmark fluff, some of the poems are very soft. The more violent graphic pieces detail something deeper (and scarier) than the sophomoric "anger and pain as an attention getter" poetry that I know she won't sink to.

And that's really the trick, isn't it? To pull off that piece of magic... she strikes up an empathy, somehow. Nicole Blackman can burn into a dark topic and stay human. She's not trite, not shallow, and not delivering us the image-obsessed chant with every poem: "I am the darkest poet alive". She is simply... good.

Very, very good.

In the vein of Nicole Blackman's work, I want to keep this review concise and direct. With "Blood Sugar", Ms. Blackman touches the rarest of nerves with the adroit eye of a poet and clean candor of a seasoned observer of life. I'm certain that many of the poems contained in this book were not emotionally easy to write, and I feel very lucky that Ms. Blackman chose to share her wholly powerful work with us. I truly believe that "Blood Sugar" augments her as one of the most original and forthright poets of our time.

This book single handedly pulled me back into poetry. Before reading this I had become what I would call "disillusioned" with poetry on the whole. Reading this brilliant work of modern poetry however rekindled what I had first felt as a youth reading Byron and Keats... and I've recaptured all that love again. I could pick apart a few technical aspects of this book... but I won't, I love it too much for that. All I can tell you is, if you enjoy raw emotion and pure attempts at artestry in words, then get this volume today! To use a cliche, you truly do owe it to yourself to own this work of art. I was first introduced to Blackman through her work with the "Golden Palominos" on the their album "Dead Inside" which is basically putting music to her words (which she sings and speaks on the album. You really should check it out if you can afford both). The brilliance of subtle details in "Victim" lead me to track down more of her work and I was led to this book... I hope you will be led to it as well.

I've never liked poetry - and I've read a lot of it. It was always too flowery and ridiculous for me; it never portrayed anything I could relate to. Then I read "Blood Sugar". Blackman is chilling and intense, and more honest and raw than any writer I've come across in a lifetime of reading. She creates beauty out of monstrosity, and does so with great intelligence and furious emotion. I eagerly anticipate her next work, as I'm sure it will be equally amazing.

After enjoying Nicole Blackman's work with Golden Palominos, I was disappointed by this collection. Without her sexy voice to distract you from what she's actually saying, the flaws of Nicole's writing are brought to the fore, and she doesn't have much of a leg to stand on. Be advised that Blackman is definitely not literary, and her use of language is quite unsophisticated (I couldn't shake the thought that my 17-year-old friend produces better, quirkier work than this.) Blackman milks well-worn scenarios (abduction by a crazed man, getting abused by men as a rites of passage, Anorexia etc) but she adds nothing to the dialogue about these subjects. She represents the female experience accurately enough, and I did find myself relating to much of the terrain she explores, such as in her poem 'Dark Daughter' (about a depressed girl whose mother misunderstands her), but she just doesn't have an original take on this stuff. Also, her motifs (stars, pearls, diamonds, blood, guns etc), seem to me merely decorative; surface.

Nicole Blackman seems to want to be the spokesperson for the urban underworld -- and she succeeds. Pop culture references abound, and the physical world is prioritised. Most of these poems don't resonate, and are at times heavy-handed. They tackle huge subjects like rape, incest, the loss of a twin, etc, and while very punchy and high-impact, they ultimately remind the reader of a slew of bad television crime shows, and various other low-brow gothic media. The nuances of Nicole's work are lost when limited to the written word, which is a shame, because pieces like 'Thirst' and 'Drown' work well when backgrounded by surreal music.

I believe that Nicole Blackman's craft is editing -- and it shows. This stuff is pared down, stark, and as bloody as the cover would indicate. Maybe it's just not my thing. I'd recommend this to a teenage girl, but if you're older than that, you may require something more layered.

In Blood Sugar by Nicole Blackman there are boundaries we cross as women everyday: mother, daughter, lover, professional and friend. Blood Sugar explores the cruel, the tragic, and humorous side of balancing power, femininity, motherhood and sexuality. Nicole Blackman's compilation of poetry illustrates a world of the modern misfit or the girl that doesn't quite follow the etiquette of society. She gives a voice to a new generation of women and girls that refused to be silenced. She gives a voice to anyone who has been hurt, betrayed, or just different.

While reading her book there are times when her words feel like a blow to the stomach, or a calm before a storm. There are no details spared, no emotional stone left unturned. In her poem Brooklyn, Nicole Blackman eloquently describes how the aftermath of a former relationship can affect a present one, "and I don't care what you are because I'll make you into whatever I need." She describes how necessity affects desire. In the poem Daughter, Nicole Blackman writes, "one Day I'll give birth to a tiny baby girl and when she's born she'll scream and I'll tell her to never stop." Already she is empowering her hypothetical daughter. Already she is influencing the reader's perception on raising a daughter in today's society. One of her most potent poems, The God Of Sleep, depicts the uncomfortable comfort in a one-night stand with someone you know. One of the most important lines written in this book pertains to this poem: "Girls have to go somewhere dangerous every now and then just so they know they can find their way home." This excerpt from the poem The God Of Sleep is the essential message of Blood Sugar... to find your way home metaphorical or not. This book is written for anyone who wants find themselves in the chaos of everyday life.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is willing to explore emotional and physical pain on higher levels. Anyone that is willing to explore the darker side of life, of love and of sex. This book is for more than just lovers of poetry. This is for people who want to expand the horizons of contemporary poetry. This book is a guide for anyone who wants to understand the healing power of confession, sin, revenge, lust, and chaos.

http://www.lakecitycc.edu/howl/howl06/staff/Sarahbookreview.html

If youre a huge poetry fan or you hate the stuff, youll love this book. Nicole Blackman hits home and talks about feelings you'd never share with anyone. She is my favorite poet in the world and I feel that her poetry has really helped me through a lot. Her words can cut or heal you, but whatever it does it will effect you in some way. I read this book at least once a day and the poems never get old. My personnal favorite is "Iris." I am sure that if you buy this book you wont regret it.

Blood Sugar is simply amazing. Nicole Blackman will make you think, cry, smile, and laugh all within one poem. Well, it works like that for me anyway.

She doesn't filter things, and for some reason, I actually laugh at some of the things she writes. I love how forward, how honest, how dark, how happy they are. Her work can accomplish all of this at once. She's a one of a kind.

I love about 90% of the writings in the book, and the others are still worth reading. My favorites include "The Ambitions are", "Missing Natalie", and "Victim".

If you enjoy any sort of creative, and simply amazing writing, I'd recommend Blood Sugar. So far, everyone I know has loved it.

As soon as I got this book I read it from front cover to back cover. It is so captivating. The use of words and the phrasing is beautiful. If you are even thinking about getting this, you should. I am not a huge fan of poetry, and this is more than that. Its the reality of words - yet i cant think of the right words to describe it.

I'm not exactly a poetry type person, but the words that this woman uses are the most incredible, powerful, moving, and beautiful that I feel I've ever experienced. I've had the book for 2 mos. and already several pieces are completely stuck in my head. Some themes aren't for kids^-^, but if you don't connect w/ at least one or two pieces in here, I strongly suggest you reassess major points of how you view the world. You will feel it. I promise.