Review: The Last Mastodon

The Last Mastodon by Christina Olson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In "The Last Mastodon," Christina Olson attempts to weave her personal dealing with death, the mastodon and its discovery and paleontology, Thomas Jefferson's eagerness to explore and find if mastodons still lived along with his keeping of slaves and power over Sally Hemings. At the same time, Olson tries to weave prose poems, disjointed thoughts and bits from her readings, with more carefully crafted free verse. Finally, she tries to weave humor (dark and light) with deeper emotion.

I think, overall, this weaving works more than it fails. There is deep feeling here along with thought. The small chapbook is certainly worth reading at least once. The central poem, "Among the Bones," itself alone is worthy enough.

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