DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Meat Songs

Animal noises

Jack Nicholls author Mark Andrew Webber illustrator

Format:Paperback

Publisher:The Emma Press

Published:16th Mar '17

Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date

Meat Songs cover

In Meat Songs, readers encounter a vivid exploration of life, death, and the choices we make regarding consumption and connection to nature.

In Meat Songs, the narrative immerses readers in a world where the voices of both humans and animals resonate, creating a vivid tapestry of experiences. The story unfolds in a peculiar setting where headlice traverse their unusual habitat, symbolizing the interconnectedness of all living beings. This unique perspective invites readers to reflect on their own choices and the implications of their actions within a larger context.

A severed pig’s head serves as a haunting reminder of mortality and the choices we make, questioning the path of an undergraduate caught between personal aspirations and societal expectations. This thought-provoking element adds depth to the narrative as it explores themes of identity, existence, and the often-overlooked consequences of our consumption habits.

Throughout Meat Songs, packaged meat products become a metaphor for the disconnection between modern society and the natural world. The author skillfully weaves together these disparate elements, urging readers to confront uncomfortable truths about their relationship with food and the environment. The interplay of voices and perspectives creates a rich and immersive reading experience that lingers long after the final page is turned.

In its surrealism, its dark comedy, its pitch-perfect sense of style, and its exploration of the surprising possibilities of prose poetry, this pamphlet puts me in mind of Luke Kennard’s work, although Nicholls has a voice all his own. Despite drawing attention to contentious issues, there is no preaching here. Rather, the poems express a quizzical wonderment at the strangeness of things, which is more powerful in its potential to recalibrate our views on the subject than any ranting polemic.

David Clarke, Sabotage Reviews

ISBN: 9781910139622

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 46g

36 pages