...[an] addictively compelling memoir-in-essays ... One expects a lot from a memoirist whose remarkable life is her art and whose remarkable art is her life, and Bukowski in a Sundress does not disappoint ... Addonizio's acerbic commentary on the business of writing is equally poignant and hilarious.
In poet Kim Addonizio’s unflinching, often hilarious 'confessions,' the excesses and debauchery are not prelude but process, not a state from which to be saved but a series of experiences and memories to save, and savor ... Much as it revels in the poet’s life as a fun-loving bad girl, this stunning book is at its most gorgeous when it reveals its author’s great big heart.
It takes bravery to be as honest, and as tart, as Addonizio is, even in the face of the reproach that comes when you tell the whole truth instead of pretending. This kind of writing flies in the face of our societal preference for curated Instagram feeds and selective Facebook posts. And this kind of writing will be off-putting to some — but I found it refreshing ... These are the writings of a brave woman ... But familial pain, drinking too much, emotional instability: these are only part of a writing life. Addonizio also sheds elegant light on her encounters with language, the meaning of poetry and what it really means to be a writer.
