Blind Corners by Stefania Lucchetti
published on September 25, 2026 by Antepost
published on September 25, 2026 by Antepost
ISBN 9791282522106
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| Cover art: Portrait by Italian painter Francesca Draetta (2026 |
In her introduction to this powerful poetry collection, Stefania Lucchetti writes that she's interested in 'the spaces in between.' This collection shows readers what she means by this. The title is apt because in each poem, I got the sense of a woman turning corners in her life and in so doing, discovering things that were so close and yet unseen until that moment. Of course she had to be ready to go around those blind corners and be open to what she discovered there. So many people prefer to stay where they're comfortable, even if it's painful and this is a part of the poems too. Each one is a journey that explores experiences of love and loss, denial and self-awareness, fear and courage, submission and agency, self-doubt and self-confidence, and more. I got goosebumps several times when reading these poems and I re-read many of them. This is a book that can be read over and over, providing new insights and food for thought on each reading. I loved it.
Also in the introduction, Lucchetti explains that she writes in both Italian and English, but one is not a translation of the other. The words and the poems they create come to her in both languages, almost simultaneously, she writes. I find this fascinating. I have no knowledge of Italian, but I'm sure that for people who are bilingual in that language and English will find even more to engage with when reading this book. This is the first work by this writer that I've read and it won't be the last. I will now seek out more. I highly recommend this poetry collection. Some of these poems will stay with me for a long time and I will be reading it again.
12 comments:
Thank you for introducing me to Stefania Lucchetti ...her poems sound intriguing.
I must admit that in recent years I haven't read too many poems ... don't know why, because I do enjoy poetry... perhaps you've spurred me on to rectify this.
All the best Jan
I'm glad I gave the collection a try🙂
Bravo to people who still read poetry! It does not surprise me that you are among this select group, Shari, an aficionada, a savourer of words and cadence, a member of the circle of poetry lovers. You bring interesting works to us.
Sharing the book love, David--you know what I mean because you do this too :-)
I am going to look for this book! I LOVE poetry and have been reading poetry since I could read. I have a poet in my family line -Jessie Wilcox Smith. She also did her own illustrations. I love that she kept her last name in her 'title' when she got married. That rarely happened.
Amazing that she wrote in Italian and English and that they were not translated writing (if that makes sense the way I put it).
Have a wonderful weekend in beautiful Ireland. Hugs- Diana
Jessie must've been quite a creative person, writing poetry and doing the illustrations--that's a great combination. I agree--I think it's fascinating that this poet thinks in both languages simultaneously :-) Enjoy your weekend :-)
I don't often read poetry but you make this one sound especially worthwhile. I'm fascinated with how she writes in both English and Italian -- but they aren't translations.
That fascinates me too 🙂
This poetry book sounds interesting. I like a lot of women's poetry. One of the best things about poetry is how it can say so much in so few words. I'm not a fan of poems that go on for hundreds of pages though. Thanks for sharing this Shari. I hope your new week has started off in a good way.
I'm with you, Erika--not a fan of book-length poems. I tend more towards short form poetry. This book isn't technically short form, but the length of the poems is just right for what she has to say.
I love the idea behind the title, turning a corner and finding something that was close all along. And as a Dutch woman who writes her blog in English, I can relate a little to thoughts coming to you in two languages. Some things simply sound different, or truer, in the other one.
That's really interesting, Diana. I can see how that would be the case.
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