Living Next to Leda

by Barbara Bentley

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Bentley's distinctive & witty poems are about characters who are often subject to various types of chaos . The "Three Graces" are decrepit pensioners on an outing. The collection continues, frequently portraying women that cope with resilience. ' 'Noah's Wife' is plagued by her DIY-mad, boat-building spouse, 'Waking Beauty' wakes from a cryogenic sleep into a bizarre future and the 'Leda' of the title poem is a deranged neighbour, convinced of a startling dream. Our consumer society and its exhortations to the modern woman to 'have it all' are scrutinised with considerable flair and irony. Watch out for 'The Telephone Sonnets' -a sequence that reveals tales of lust, infidelity, betrayal and revenge, often in the guise of techno-jargon. There are also meditative works on family, friends, childhood memories and brief glimpses of past lives such as 'Moons', a short series that subtly illuminates the consequences of a marriage. The reader will find much to admire in this lively and skilful debut.

  • ISBN10 1854111590
  • ISBN13 9781854111593
  • Publish Date 16 October 1996
  • Publish Status Out of Print
  • Out of Print 3 September 2024
  • Publish Country GB
  • Publisher Poetry Wales Press
  • Imprint Seren
  • Format Paperback
  • Pages 72
  • Language English