Saint Monica by Mary Biddinger
A chapbook of poems
Black Lawrence Press (2011)
Recent reviews of Saint Monica:
From The Rumpus: “Biddinger’s repeated returns to haptic perception as a legitimized approach to the divine, or a sense of peace or benediction, amounts to an aesthetic necessity, alongside the necessity of putting iconicity and holy writ in relationship with narrative, reality, and the arbitrary nature of violence, accident, and error.” –Virginia Konchan
From Midwest Book Review: “Dropped into the temptations of the modern world, it can be difficult to find a way. ‘Saint Monica’ is a collection of poetry from Mary Biddinger, speaking of the spirit of abuse victims who yearn to take control of their own life once more. With a powerful message, “Saint Monica” speaks of real issues and the lives that so many dismiss as statistics.”
From HTML GIANT: ” It is a testament to Biddinger’s skill as a manipulator of words and images that it is difficult to write summary of these poems, and not because they resist the reader’s attempt to understand them or to fall into them–Clarity is one of their virtues–but, rather, because once she begins to set everything into motion, the literal surfaces spin a web of attachment that causes the reader to understand many things at once…” –Kyle Minor
From The National Poetry Review: “Monica’s is that most epic and ordinary of tales, and like a series of images on a reel, the poems show us fragments of her life, woven together in a story that is both arbitrary and of universal, archetypal importance, a poetic reminder of who we are and who we were, and how to stay our course.” –Melissa Studdard
From Rain Taxi: “Far from the holy matron described in saints’ books, this Monica is just as confused, angry, and turned on as the rest of us. Biddinger’s tight and vividly detailed narrative poems speak to timeless themes of adolescence, regret, and desire, enlivening a historical figure and religious icon while painting a nuanced portrait of a character who is every bit as imperfect and fallible as everyone else.” –Roxanne Halpine Ward
Saint Monica at The Fine Delight: Catholicisim in Literature
Nick Ripatrazone on Saint Monica
Interview with Mary Biddinger
Praise for Saint Monica:
Mary Biddinger evokes the patron saint of female abuse victims in narrating the adolescence of a latter day Saint Monica. Ironic humor illuminates the poems, as in “Saint Monica Stays the Course,” a hilarious catechism of teeth-gritting endurance. Biddinger crisply narrates these memorable tales that entwine horror and sensual discovery, using deft rhythms, head-snapping line breaks, and highly original imagery.
–Rachel Dacus, author of Femme au Chapeau and Earth Lessons
Selected poems online:
“Saint Monica Burns it Down” at Valparaiso Poetry Review
(follow this link to read an analysis of this poem at Night Stream Journey)
“Saint Monica of the Gauze” at Wicked Alice
“Saint Monica of the Thaw” at Caffeine Destiny
Mary Biddinger 