Let me start off this piece by introducing you to Lang Leav- artist, fashion designer, author, and most recently, poet. She has been awarded the Qantas Spirit of Youth Award and a Churchill fellowship. In an interview with Stated Magazine, Leav revealed that “writing is my first love […] and will usually display one [poem] alongside a painting” or “incorporate my poetry into the actual works”. This signature is stamped throughout Leav’s Love & Misadventure through straight-faced drawings of girls marking each of three sections: “Misadventure”, “The Circus of Sorrows” and “Love”.This collection of poems and short quips, while on their own come off as generally too short, missing the ‘meat’ of the story, are a fluid tale of love and loss when read simultaneously. College students may turn tale from poetry overall, citing it as weighed down in metaphor and allusion. While this can be true, and work well for some poems, others like Leav’s offer relatable anecdotes using straightforward, yet often meaningful diction.As you turn the pages of Love & Misadventure you unravel a “rollercoaster ride through an ill-fated love affair” according to Barnes & Nobles overview of the book. Everyone can feel the longing from afar of Leav’s “A Stranger”:
There is a love I reminisce,
like a seed
I’ve never sown.
Of lips that I am yet to kiss,
and eyes
not met my own.
Hands that wrap around my wrists,
and arms
that feel like home.
I wonder how it is I miss,
these things
I’ve never known.
Poetry is expression. Poetry is not scientific in its composition, yet many attempt to apply a general formula to works they come across. I would not say Leav could or should put all her eggs in one poetry basket. However, as we have seen from shows like American Idol, the whole package can mean less finesse as some professionals, but coupled with energy and personality and you’ve got a star.Leav is popular because her work is reminiscent of romantic bliss and the blind, mindless emotion that surges forth with no prior warning. Her poetry tingles with sentiment and a thin layer of indulgent cheese found in all whirlwind romances.
X’s and O’sLove is a gameof tic-tac-toe,constantly waiting,for the next x or o.
This particular poem [above] made me smile at the fluffiness of it, but also seemed to straddle the line between cute and excessive.I appreciated the inclusion of short stories that gave a nice break to a series of quick, easy to pass over poems. They forced me to slow down and relate them to what I had just read. I would recommend “Lost Things” on page 61. It’s based around daily life and weaves into a plea to not to be forgotten.Love & Misadventure has absorbed itself into many of its audiences’ hearts. Pages on Pinterest and Tumblr have been dedicated to sharing the connection fans feel towards Leav’s poetry; and while her poems can read as simple at times, the ability to ensnare readers in the obsessions of a stranger’s heart deserves it’s own respects.You can pick up a copy the old-fashioned way by entering a bookstore or you can technologically grab one online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.
(Enjoy with a hot chocolate, curled up on a cozy armchair while the snow falls for added effect!)
A Time Capsule
This is where,
I began to care,
where I was befriended.
This is where,
my soul was bared,
where all my rules were bended.
This is where,
a moment we shared,
was stolen and expended.
Now this is where,
this is where,
this is where we’ve ended—
– Lang Lane