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A review by thevampiremars
Divisible by Itself and One by Kae Tempest
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Tempest’s poems whisked me away and put me – firmly, tenderly – in their shoes.
Without losing their distinctive voice, there’s a real variety of poems here; just look at “Party, 4am” (four short lines) opposite “Be careful that you don’t become a parody of yourself” (a full page of text with no commas or full stops or line breaks). It’s clear that a lot of thought has been put into how this book is put together.
Some favourites include “Even the youths shall faint and be weary,” “Wind in the tall trees,” and “You’re too soft.” And then, of course, there’s “Love song for queens, studs, butches, daddies, fags and all the other angels.”
I was lucky enough to see “... and all the other angels” performed live by Tempest at Trans Pride in 2022 (and again this summer). It was a deeply moving experience. The crowd fell silent. By the end of the recital, people all around me were sobbing and holding one another. I caught myself holding my breath. Reading the poem did not fully recreate that experience, but I know the power of these words.
Impressive.
CONTENT WARNINGS: dysphoria, some sexual content, alcohol dependence
Without losing their distinctive voice, there’s a real variety of poems here; just look at “Party, 4am” (four short lines) opposite “Be careful that you don’t become a parody of yourself” (a full page of text with no commas or full stops or line breaks). It’s clear that a lot of thought has been put into how this book is put together.
Some favourites include “Even the youths shall faint and be weary,” “Wind in the tall trees,” and “You’re too soft.” And then, of course, there’s “Love song for queens, studs, butches, daddies, fags and all the other angels.”
I was lucky enough to see “... and all the other angels” performed live by Tempest at Trans Pride in 2022 (and again this summer). It was a deeply moving experience. The crowd fell silent. By the end of the recital, people all around me were sobbing and holding one another. I caught myself holding my breath. Reading the poem did not fully recreate that experience, but I know the power of these words.
Impressive.
CONTENT WARNINGS: dysphoria, some sexual content, alcohol dependence