Yesterday, Isabelle Kenyon, contacted me to tell me about Elisabeth Horan's book inspired by Sylvia Plath, which explores links between writers, mothers, and mental health.
I was induced to sadness when the title, Just to the Right of the Stove, popped out at me. The title was definitely well thought out - noting the deeper meaning of this literary work released by Twist in Time Press of Philadelphia.
Isolation seemed prone to repeat itself throughout Plath's life's work as did ineffable self-appraisal. Overcome by profound hopelessness, it is plausible things became raw and exposed, deterring a catalyst for Plath's own healing. It's reported in the early morning hours of 1963, she frenzied to write as if the variables had an impact on survival time.
Fast forward fifty eight-years and Horan's versus flow and conjure images that are both abstract and real. In reading her words, defective & so alive, I witness an unsatisfied longing that's transitioning into belonging.
A vision of a lady entering a kitchen to utilize an untaught skill mixes with lines that have more than one interpretation. And, I sense that there is much left undone for Horan, as I turn the pages of Just to the Right of the Stove.
Elisabeth Horan is a poet, mother, and small press publisher living in the wilds of Vermont. She is the author of numerous poetry chapbooks and collections, and the Editor-In-Chief of Animal Heart Press. Elisabeth is passionate about discovering new voices and mentoring emerging poets. She is also a fierce advocate for those impacted by mental illness. Follow her @ehoranpoet and ehoranpoet.net