The Orange Spotlight

What to Tell The Sleeping Babies by MRB Chelko (Sunnyoutside, Feb. 2010)

"One day you will cry over/a peeled orange. Hold its bright/ripped skin in your hands."

The latest addition to the Sunnyoutside catalog is a thread-bound little chap from MRB Chelko called What To Tell The Sleeping Babies. Filled with imagery that takes a few reads to grasp, this chap is insightful and unique. Chelko has a voice that will catch you off-guard, it will walk up casually, extend a hand, and then completely blow you away. It is almost like she has this internal language, this world filled with ghosts, orchards of enormous fruit, and strange and twisted dreams.

"a song, opens like dandelion seed, its small hopeful sail unfolded as a hand or an origami bird"

Through out the collection Chelko drops smalls pearls of wisdom, but weaves them together with images that are powerful and creative. This weaving together is put into action visibly with the blue thread that holds the pages together. This is an impressive and finely crafted debut from this Massachusetts poet.

What to Tell the Sleeping Babies was release on February 11th and can be purchased from Sunnyoutside.

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