Jackie Kay is one of the most prolific and insightful poets currently writing in the UK today. At a time when too many people frequently describe the form as being 鈥渋n decline鈥 and thought of as an 鈥渆xclusive club鈥, Kay writes poems that are accessible, yet deeply involved and involving.
Kay’s poetry embraces the reader, and at the same time it challenges them to think about what she is saying. Her work covers weighty themes such as gender, ethnicity, racism and cultural difference, and presents them in ways that leave you marvelling at her command of language, and at the same time feeling as though you have gained valuable insight into subjects fraught with social and emotional complexities. As far as Kay is concerned: 鈥淎ll you need is a way of reading poetry so while you鈥檙e listening, you are also reading; and that you listen to poetry like you might listen to a piece of music. You actually don鈥檛 need to understand it in the first instance; you鈥檙e listening to enjoy and experience language, not to worry about it. Once you鈥檙e past worrying you can actually return again and again to the same poem, and that鈥檚 what I think is wonderful about poetry.鈥
Kay鈥檚 latest work, Darling, published in October 2007, brings together into a vibrant new book many favourite poems from her four Bloodaxe collections, The Adoption Papers, Other Lovers, Off Colour and Life Mask, as well as featuring new work, some previously uncollected poems, and some lively poetry for younger readers. Those familiar with her poetry will find old friends amongst the pages brushing up against a number of recent additions. When asked how she selected the pieces to be included in the anthology, her response was surprising: 鈥淚鈥檝e put in most of the poems that are in the earlier books, some I鈥檝e taken out because I loathe them. A few poems, I鈥檝e just gotten rid of all together.鈥 She tempers this admission by adding: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be too revisionist, because you have to live with your past, your mistakes, and you can鈥檛 really create a new self. On the whole, I only removed poems from whole volumes if I felt they were absolutely unnecessary there. That鈥檚 not to say that every one of these new and collected poems is a wonderful鈥痯oem, you probably think that only six out of a hundred are any good,鈥痓ecause that鈥檚 how it is. I think that鈥檚 true of鈥痑 lot of poets, at the end of the day there鈥檚 only a handful of poems that they could really stand by.鈥
The new work included in Darling (named for Julia Darling, a close and well-missed friend of Kay鈥檚) presents a varied canvas, which effortlessly mixes weighty topics such as identity, love and grief with Kay鈥檚 light-handed but revealing humour. Gap Year comes towards the end of the collection and addresses the feelings endured by all parents when their children fly the coop. Kay explains, 鈥渋t seemed a relevant circle, between The Adoption Papers and then having鈥痬y own baby, and鈥痶hen having my baby鈥痝rowing up and go back out into the wide world.鈥
The anthology concludes with a poem inspired by the paintings of Howard Hodgkin, recently exhibited at The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. Kay describes the experience of producing this latest work as an 鈥渆xciting process.鈥 She continues, 鈥淚 felt as though the paintings were an event. I was excited to be going to meet them. I even found myself getting dressed up for them at one stage, thinking I鈥檝e got to be colourful for these paintings.鈥
Such passion for her craft is evident throughout Jackie Kay鈥檚 writing, old and new. Darling is the perfect package for both those well acquainted with her poetry and for those who are not. The collection provides a unique and exhilarating journey. Darling is published by Bloodaxe.
Rachel Hazelwood
