Slope, issue 26

The literary online poetry journal known as Slope includes both experimental and traditional lyric poetry that present several themes and issues. It is part of Slope Publishing Inc. which is a non-profit organization based in New Hampshire, and was started in 1999. Its publishing schedule has varied, but is usually twice a year.

The 26th issue of Slope, which I chose to read and review, is unique in comparison to other literary journals in that there is only one poet featured throughout: Heather Christle. This is effective in that the reader can build a relationship with the author and his/her writing style. The journal is organized into two sections each with sub-themes of their own. The first aspect of Christle’s poetry that I noticed was how short and to the point her writing can be. Several of her pieces consist of one line. She also likes to experiment with the formatting of her poetry, but mostly she tends to use enjambment, and to justify her poems to the width of the area given.

As for her writing style, she writes in a stream-of-consciousness that goes quickly from one point to the next, with short, simple words. One could say there is a colloquial language used. There is also a lack of punctuation, except for the occasional word capitalization at the beginning of a line. I think lacking punctuation gives purity to a piece of writing, and draws attention to what is being said, and the deeper message it may have. With regards to its diction, she doesn’t use many eloquent descriptors or adjectives in her writing. I think this forces the reader to take her writing seriously, and to listen to the ideas and topics being presented. Her tone seems to change rapidly without any warning, which surprised myself, and was unlike any other poet I had previously read. Christle also likes to take lines or words from other literary works previously published, and then build on them and add her own opinion to their meaning.

One particular piece that stood out for me was 'Two Variables'. I read it as an anti-war poem and how we, as individuals and a society, will lose ourselves during war. Its word usage is simplistic and lines are quite short which makes it read quickly. I also like how it begins with ‘if’ this were happening, then this is how it would be, but then it ends by with ‘but this didn’t happen.’ This is a unique way of reversing the usual form of writing where reality is stated first, and then explained, or thought of in a different way.

Two Variables

If we are at war
and I have a personality
I will have hidden
my personality
to protect it
I will have taped it
to the underside
of a manhole cover
I will have wrapped it
in lettuce to make it seem
unimportant or bad
It might actually be bad
or unimportant
Let's check
But look
There is nothing
taped to the underside
of this manhole cover
Therefore we are not at war
or I do not have a personality