Review by Laura Dennis
One does not soon forget a book that alliteratively offers a “huge, homosexual umbrella,” not just once, but three times, each framed a little differently, in a single poem. Indeed, the title of said poem, “Flamboyant,” could easily describe not only the umbrella, but also Melissa Studdard’s new poetry collection as a whole
The reading experience begins with the front cover, which features a smokestack, fanned-out dollar bills, and a typewriter labeled “Poems,” bordered by fuchsia blossoms and overlaid with the cutout of a woman in an extravagant orange gown. The title, Dear Selection Committee, evokes the world of work, yet the cover and first four lines immediately take the reader down unanticipated paths:
I would like to be considered for the position
Of drinking a bottle of chardonnay every night
and then making love with the most beautiful
person I know until we both pass out.
The line breaks work brilliantly in this opening passage, moving from the tried-and-true opening phrase of a cover letter, to what many employees might secretly want, but would likely never dare request.
The collection continues in this vein, deploying remarkable imagery, experiments in form, and a full range of emotional expression. The sensuality of the opening poem recurs throughout, for example in “Did I Do, O God, Did I As I Said I’d Do? Good! I Did,” which opens with the line “between my thighs” and is formatted in the shape of that very space. Humor also pervades the collection, as in “My Boyfriend’s Body’s Covered in Newspaper,” which compares a tropical storm bearing the author’s name to certain parts of the male anatomy.
In this same brief poem, however, the speaker interrupts the laughter:
[…] What surprises me
About the body is resilience. Mine
has been a shot glass, a punching
bag, a cigarette filter, a lie
detector, a crash test dummy.
As in the opening poem, the line breaks distort what could have been predictable images, thereby emphasizing a sense of discomfort to which many readers can relate.
This particular poem also points to another key theme of the collection––the desire for connection and relationship. Sometimes this is romantic or sexual, but not always. “In the House, I Built Another House” and “When the Drunk Guy Sent an Injured Baby Goldfinch to the Wildlife Rehab by Uber,” explore motherhood, while “You Say Cognitive Dissonance, I Say I Lost My Basket Full of Light” tackles the loneliness created by COVID. Sometimes, the reader laughs out loud; other times, she wants to weep. A particularly strong instance of the latter occurs in “Hurricane, 3rd Day,” where the terrifying storm swirls in stark contrast to the steadfastness of the people trying to help. “Once, I thought humankind / brutal and nature benign,” the speaker muses, a line the reader will not soon forget, especially if she has experienced a natural disaster.
Among the relationships not explored at any length are those to be found in the world of work. This is ironic not just because of the collection’s title, but also because of the framework in which the poems purport to be contained. The book opens with the titular poem, then is divided into two sections, “Application” and “Interview,” which contain 21 and 22 poems, respectively. These are further subdivided into groups of 2-3 poems, each preceded by subheadings that one might find in the job application process, such as “Personal Statement,” “Honors & Awards,” or “Will You Need Any Special Accommodations or Supplies?” to name only three.
At first, the numerous subheadings might seem to interrupt the flow, but the reader soon realizes they contribute to a subversive sense of play. Consider, for example, how the “huge homosexual umbrella” is part of “What Sets Me Apart from Other Applicants,” or how “Hurricane, 3rd Day” opens “List Obstacles and Challenges You’ve Faced, and if Applicable, How You Overcame Them.”
As the reader closes the back cover, rediscovering that spectacular orange dress as she does, she is no closer to knowing whether the speaker would be a suitable employee. She also knows that was never the point. Dear Selection Committee shreds a staid, worn-out script then rewrites it, exposing and extoling the tangled contradictions and desires that accompany womanhood today.
Dear Selection Committee by Melissa Studdard
Jackleg Press 2022 $18.00 [paper]
ISBN 9781737513414 [paper]
Laura Dennis is a college professor in Appalachia and co-editor of book review for Mom Egg Review. She has published book reviews and her own creative work in a variety of outlets, including MER Vox Quarterly, Still: The Journal, Change Seven, Bethlehem Writer’s Roundtable, Bluff & Vine, Northern Appalachia Review, and Kentucky Philological Review.