Customer Reviews

A Paradox in Pink

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Jennifer Brown-Banks' book of poetry A PARADOX IN PINK (Publish America, 2005) is full of provocative words and imagery, which goes beyond pink. The book touches all the colors of the rainbow. If we consider the colors experiences which we all can relate to. At the rainbow's end is a pot of gold full of her creativity.

Brown-Banks allows a reader to visit her home and watch how she deals with daily life. Her poems echo a message: "I'm just like you trying to deal with my weaknesses and control my strengths." Reading the book made me envision this woman sitting beside me telling me about her life. Instead of the rambling of a self-centered person, I found humor, interest and honesty. Touching on each ounce of honesty.

Her talent is seen in how she's able to find the right words to make her point. Either she's opening more of herself or attempting to find ways to open the reader into a world of self- discovery.

You'll find yourself quickly reading page after page. Sometimes you must stop and think about a poem. You stop to take the poem in.

My favorite stanza is from her poem "Visions":

"I see the day before me

Unused fresh clay

To be molded and meshed

To my dream's desires"

This powerful section is almost pliable. It could be a poem onto itself but completes the other stanzas well in "Visions," a poem about hope and potential.

As I read A PARADOX IN PINK, I found myself smiling and nodding in agreement. Other poems, which I especially enjoyed were "November," and "My Undoing."

I wondered too about the symbolism of Pink. Perhaps it's a combination of Brown-Banks' frank truth (white) and uncensored passion (red). A PARADOX IN PINK is an enjoyable book.