RavePloughshares...one of the most innovative collections of poetry I’ve come across in a long time ... Long Soldier’s concern with whereas is akin to Solmaz Sharif’s in her powerful poem, 'Look.' Both poets interrogate beau acratic terminology, ultimately performing a poetic intervention on the vague, subject-free obfuscations that have come to characterize official governmental language. What is especially compelling about Long Soldier is that she not only undermines language, she undermines form as well ... Some readers may find elements of these poems too experimental or too difficult or perhaps even too political. And, to be sure, some pieces are more fully realized than others, but I’m okay with that, and I’m betting Long Soldier is as well. Whereas is an ambitious, ground breaking book. The world needs more of those.
