Irresponsible Literature (A Poem About the Worst Book I Read in 2024)
Knives on every other page of your despicable novel
ripping through the guts of your enemies, like you think
in a hundred thousand words you’ll strike down all conservatism.
Stupid, idiotic, fucking moronic you called us, vilely
twisting us into every kind of overblown caricature.
I shoulda given you up at page one hundred, but I had to see–
Nope! You never acknowledged us as feeling human beings.
Can’t stand a person with a different opinion, can you? But
as much as I’ll agree that we need to start getting better,
shitting on people you don’t like won’t a nation fix;
hatefulness only paves the road of our continued downward spiraling.
One day, I hope to tell you that, in person, how your book left me
reradicalized, stalwart in 2016 decisions and palpitating at how
eventually, all in spite of you, I might just vote the wrong way again.
5 thoughts on "Irresponsible Literature (A Poem About the Worst Book I Read in 2024)"
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Evocative. Authentic. Articulate plea to be recognized in common humanity, deserving of compassion. “You never acknowledged us as feeling human beings.”
Honest review. I am not someone who can read to the end if I am pissed off or not happy with the writing. I fear we are running out of options to “fix” our nation.
I’m dying to know the title of this book.
Visceral from the first line! Those knives! Like Sylvia, I have a tough time wading through a book I don’t engage with, let alone totally can’t find common ground. Also, I’m curious like Nettie, to know the title!
Thank you all for the comments on this poem, especially in expressing curiosity about the book.
I’ve usually refrained from sharing the title because I don’t want people buying it. I don’t think it says anything that isn’t more eloquently expressed in other pieces of fiction.
However, to keep genuine with my persona and writing this year, I should allow others to give it a fair shake. The book is titled “There Is a Door in This Darkness” by Kristin Cashore. It is Young Adult Magical Realism.
Set in election week of 2020 (including the pandemic in full force) it tells the story of a girl who is super-stressed out about Trump (never referred to by name, just Orange Monster) potentially winning reelection, while also grieving an aunt who’s passed away.
As expressed in the poem, the book is not kind to conservatives at all and was written with no political nuance, no recognition of the validity of different opinions; it’s just a 500 page rant about Trump’s presidency with a basic story attached for support, all of which is probably soured now that he’s back in office.
That said, if this author writes a sequel, I will not be reading it.