Last week a local paper asked me if I’d like to review Emma Neale’s latest poetry book, The Truth Garden. I declined because I felt readers might feel I was biased; Emma’s winning poem, An Inward Sun, from our 2012 poetry competition is in The Truth Garden and also Emma is our 2013 competition judge. But I can see no reason why I can’t give a shout for Emma’s latest poetry book here.
The Truth Garden is beautifully designed – look at the cover and then look, look again. Flick the pages, pick a poem, read it and move on, return for a more leisurely paced read, and marvel at how the delicate and delicious arrangement of words describe everyday moments. My favourite poem? Well it has to be The Last Yoga Class – oh yes Emma I said nodding, I so agree with you. And I can say, because I wasn’t the judge, An Inward Sun is still a winner of a poem in my eyes. Congratulations to the publisher, Otago University Press, and Emma for gifting her readers with words beyond words.
