Medusa’s Daughter, by Jane Rosenberg LaForge, is a shedding of poetic skin where the mythical gives way to modern and seeds a new narrative. These poems are filled with treasures of syntactical prowess that leave us with a sense of wonder and awe.
We All Have Our Snakes
There were no snakes
in her hair,
only voices,
a wreath of harpies
and reptiles, the kind
that make a life
in the suburbs;
–Mommy Medusa, Jane Rosenberg LaForge, Medusa’s Daughter
There’s no escaping the sibilant quality of these carefully constructed lines and they’re a fine example of the carefully crafted poems throughout LaForge’s collection. Each line wraps around to each other without benefit of stanza breaks in this poem as it slithers its way to the end.
I’ve often thought about Medusa’s story. I’ve thought about what the traditional narrative tells us, about the relationship of women to each other in myth and of the twisting of story to suit an agenda. However, I never considered the sound of those snakes.
Can you even imagine?
The flick of tongue and hiss and constant movement would not be something I could imagine coping with. And yet, we all have our snakes. I never could play what I called the ‘girl game’ growing up. I wasn’t a gossip, hissing secrets into ears and tittering at the misfortunes of others. More likely, I was one that people chose to ‘hiss’ about. But my snakes now are different. They’re the trauma memories that have invaded my amygdala until it is swollen in size and ever vigilant, constantly on the lookout to protect me and remind me of the bad things that happen when we are not careful. LaForge reminds us that the things that seek to protect us can often cause harm and isolate us inside of our own minds.
It Hurts to Be Pretty
I thought my skin would explode
from a bee sting; a mosquito bite
guaranteed misery and swollenness.
I needed these assaults so I could be
doomed and beautiful like the pretty
girls were,
–Nostalgia, Jane Rosenberg LaForge, Medusa’s Daughter
I don’t believe that hindsight is ever 20/20. Mostly this is because the glasses of nostalgia confuse memories as we look back. It’s so easy to look in soft focus and forget all of the sharp edges when they are too painful. In this poem, as in so many others in this collection I’m reminded that story is told and remembered through a personal lens. Which means that everyone’s story is unique, even when we remember similar events.
In the lines above, I see myself as a young girl and I shake my head. But, these weren’t silly girl notions that I came up with on my own and I’d wager it is similar for the narrator in this poem. Culture and social morals are the fields where we are planted. Nurture is not always nurturing when those tending the fields send us toxic messaging. The toxicity is not always intended. I know that in my life, well meaning women have lauded the idea that a damsel in distress is simply natural and that the hero coming to save her is worth every bit of suffering.
And then there are the overt toxic attitudes of politics and religion that seek to keep women fragile and in need of men to save them. This ignores that often, it is the very same people who are the perpetrators of distress. Those in positions of power and privilege tell the story and this story has been told for so long that it has become fact. LaForge reminds us that story is complicated and that new narratives are essential in moving forward.
In Conclusion
There is power in story. More importantly, there is power in telling our stories. Medusa’s Daughter, by Jane Rosenberg LaForge, is an example of how myth from the past echoes and haunts our contemporary stories and personal histories. The truth is, we understand the world through our own narrative. When it is unchallenged or when we close our ears to the narratives of others, we risk losing a perspective that can help us engage in compassion and understanding. These are the things that connect us and help us to evolve socially.
Every poem in this collection is filled with language that examines some of the deepest and disturbing parts of the human experience. LaForge is unflinching in her truth telling through these masterfully crafted poems.
Medusa’s Daughter, by Jane Rosenberg LaForge, is available for purchase through Animal Heart Press.
Juliette
About the Author
JANE ROSENBERG LAFORGE’S poetry, fiction, critical and personal essays have appeared in numerous publications, including Poetry Quarterly, Wilderness House Literary Review, Ottawa Arts Review, Boston Literary Magazine, THRUSH, Ne’er-Do-Well Literary Magazine, and The Western Journal of Black Studies. Her memoir-fantasy, An Unsuitable Princess, is available from Jaded Ibis Press. Her full-length collection of poetry, With Apologies to Mick Jagger, Other Gods, and All Women was published in fall 2012 by The Aldrich Press. She is also the author of the chapbooks After Voices, published by Burning River of Cleveland in 2009, and Half-Life, from Big Table Publishing of Boston in 2010. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.
About the Press
ANIMAL HEART PRESS is a small poetry press based in Vermont, USA. Fiercely feminist, their mission is to provide an author-centered, caring and supportive publishing experience. In addition to the Animal Heart Press imprint, the team produces a poetry and art literary journal, FERAL. In 2020 they opened submissions to Femme Salvé Books, with the aim of rescuing poetry manuscripts where other presses are no longer in a position to proceed with publication. Find out more at www.animalheartpress.net