Don't be fooled or lulled by the title; Robin Stratton's Interference from an Unwitting Species & Other Poems is far more dangerous than any act of mere "interference." Rather the book possesses an irresistible centrifugal force emanating from Stratton's radical joy in poetic forms and tones, which range from the knotty to the diaphanous, and the raucous to the painstakingly tender. So go ahead and pick up the book, if you dare, but don't complain when you realize hours later that you've been sucked into a hidden vortex of asynchronous being. Such is the power of "interference"!
~ Seth Michelson, Maestro of Brutal Splendor and Kaddish for my Unborn Son
“Robin Stratton punches holes through your solar plexus with her no-nonsense selections in her latest book, Interference from an Unwitting Species & Other Poems. Roving in a galaxy of her own making, exploring creatures from underwater Fishzilla to the chemical make-up of planets, her most favorite being Jupiter, to characters getting stuck in the elevator, she dishes up a Petri dish of poems brimming with vulnerability, wonder and permeability. Permeable just like astronomers discover Jupiter turns out to be. But she’s reaching up through the stars, holding onto Jupiter as though it were still a solid body and throwing it to us to catch, just like she’s reaching into the Great Beyond to pull back her friend Margie who has passed on, turning her back into a solid body in her poems for us to meet and love, taste her cooking. Watch out, Stratton’s red hot. She can do anything.”
Laura Rodley, Your Left Front Wheel is Coming Loose
“Robin Stratton’s
Interference from an Unwitting Species is at times solemn, at times laugh-out-loud funny, and manages to come across as a serious work that doesn’t take itself too seriously. A very satisfying and enjoyable read.”
Tom Mahony,
An Imperfect Solitude
“Stratton's collection is a feast of engaging narration that illustrates the absurdity of the human predicament, yet never disregards the reality of heartache. With a bit of wit, quirkiness, courage and vulnerability all rolled into one, these poems tackle the matter of mortality. Her words are 'unafraid of the black, unpredictable night' as she explores the unexpected, unknown and transitory quality of life.”
Renee Podunovich, If There is a Center, No One Knows Where it Begins
