Her Mouth as Souvenir

by Heather June Gibbons
Her Mouth as Souvenir cover
Good Books rating 4.25
Poetry
Technical:
  • ID: 748
  • Added: 2025-09-19
  • Updated: 2025-09-19
  • ISBN: 9781607816300
  • Publisher: Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetr
  • Published: 2018-01-01
  • Reviews: 3

Heather June Gibbons' debut collection, 'Her Mouth as Souvenir,' is a startling exploration of desire, desperation, and the human condition. The poems oscillate between laughter and despair, faith and doubt, and the absurdity of modern life, all viewed through the lens of a cracked pair of sunglasses. Gibbons' work is a testament to the power of hanging on by a thread, finding beauty in chaos, and the struggle to perceive reality in an increasingly digital world. /n/n The collection includes a foreword by Jericho Brown and is propelled by a voice that is both desperate and defiant. It's a world that feels both familiar and surreal, where the mundane and the sublime collide. The poems sing under pressure, offering a glimpse into a world that is undeniably ours.

Reviews
Oprah Daily · 2021-04-01
beautiful 4.25

The collection is celebrated for its unflinching look at life's anxieties, turning them into something beautiful and glorious.

Oprah Daily highlights how Heather June Gibbons' collection doesn't just acknowledge life's anxieties but glories in them. The reviewer finds the collection beautiful and turbulent, reflecting the anxieties and beauties of modern life. They appreciate the raw honesty and the way the poems sing under pressure, making it a standout collection.

Quick quotes

    Heather June Gibbons doesn't just admit to the anxieties of life. She glories in them.

    In this debut collection, we are shown a world so turbulent, anxious, and beautiful, we know it must be ours.

    Under pressure, these poems sing.

Zyzzyva · 2018-09-17
captivating 4.50

The reviewer admires Gibbons' strong voice and the well-crafted, honest free verse that makes the collection captivating.

The reviewer from Zyzzyva praises Heather June Gibbons' strong and distinctive voice, which guides readers through her well-crafted and honest free verse. They find the poems captivating and appreciate the raw honesty and skillful craftsmanship displayed in the collection. The reviewer sees the poems as pressing and urgent, making them highly relevant to contemporary readers.

Quick quotes

    Gibbons' voice is a strong one, as she leads the reader through well-crafted and captivatingly honest free verse.

    Pressingly urgent and timely, Her Mouth as Souvenir...

    The poems practically vibrate off the page as they push forward to the next observation, the next joke, the next revelation.

KQED Arts · 2018-07-16
timely 4.00

The collection is a profound exploration of distraction and mediated reality, urging readers to reflect on their own lives. It captures the humdrum efforts to avoid introspection in a captivating manner.

This review highlights how Heather June Gibbons' debut poetry book delves deep into the themes of distraction and the digital age. The reviewer appreciates the way Gibbons' poems push readers to reflect on their own experiences and the reality around them. The collection is seen as a timely and urgent commentary on modern life, making it a compelling read for those interested in contemporary poetry.

Quick quotes

    Heather June Gibbons's debut poetry book, Her Mouth as Souvenir, is a study of distraction, mediated reality and our humdrum efforts to avoid reflection.

    Her poetry will make you put your phone down and reflect on your own life.

    The collection is a timely and urgent commentary on modern life.

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