The Immortal Soul Salvage Yard is a small poetry collection by Beth May that was released in 2021 by Sideshow Media Group Press, based out of LA. She calls it a kind of refurbishing of old scraps of memories and written things. Essentially May takes pieces of her history and turns them into poetry.
Personally, I really enjoy this idea. And it’s not until you’re halfway through the collection that you understand why it is she’s felt compelled to do this. She doesn’t name it exactly, but she tells us what it does to her, how she treats it and the consequences of that treatment.
Effect of the Writing
As far as the actual writing is concerned, I find it’s a hit & miss kind of collection for me. Some of the poems are well written, poignant, hit a nerve or sound like they’re fighting (something, or you). Some of them read like they cradle a point in time – disjointed, delicate. But most of the time there’s a lack of connection I’m having to the writing and to the writer herself.
During the first half there’s this “white girl privilege” vibe coming through. Then once she gives you the reveal, it’s like even she doesn’t believe it even though she’s writing about it. May feels like she’s trying and she’s losing grasp as she writes. But not in the way that she is doing on purpose for the work – actually lost. Perhaps this is part of the point and the appeal of The Immortal Soul Salvage Yard. I can see how it would be.
Of the poems that I did resonate with, I wanted them to hit harder. I wanted the words to feel like poetry, rather than just rhymes or relatable sentences. I give it to the writer for trying since this is also a me problem. Sometimes nothing resonates for weeks, for months. Sometimes I expect nothing to get to me and out of no where it does.
My favourite poems were “Flat Earth”, “Be Kind”, “Emails to a Professor”, “Long Distance Call” and “Psych Ward Sunflower”. My favourite lines are all in the poem “Be Kind”. I would write them here for you, but I wouldn’t want to spoil that first experience for you.
Rating: 3/5
To purchase a copy of The Immortal Soul Salvage Yard you can head over to my Bookshop.org if you’re in the USA and want to support indie bookstores. If you’re in Canada you can get it at Book Outlet.
