Mackenzie Kozak examines the complex question of whether or not to bear children. Through a series of untitled American sonnets, the poems speak to themes of origin and desire, noting the shame that can accompany such a decision. Many poetry collections speak to the varied griefs of becoming a mother, losing a child, or being unable to have a child, but this collection gives specific voice to another grief that feels unspeakable: the possible conclusion of not wanting to be a mother.
no swaddle reads as a sort of meditation on theme, its repeated form mirroring the spiraling nature of indecision and reconsideration of the same major question alongside its continuous struggle to name. In the end, this grappling with elements of grief and shame becomes a way of moving toward greater agency and fulfillment.
Author: MacKenzie Kozak
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Published: 04/10/2025
Series: Iowa Poetry Prize
Pages: 80
Weight: 0.15lbs
Size: 8.80h x 5.90w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9781685970109
Language: English
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