Destroyed Dresses
Destroyed Dresses
Cara Brennan
Paperback
'The morning is a hot drink in a cold glass.'
Destroyed Dresses is the first solo publication of Cara Brennan’s exemplary poetry, one of the most talked-about pamphlets of 2012. Its 17 poems are ordered chronologically to aid the sense of a poet 'coming of age', in life and in literature. As suggested by the iconic cover design (conceived by the author), the poems have both vintage charm and contemporary edge, as well as their own peculiar drama. They provide ample evidence of the unique attitude and skill which has won Cara national acclaim, culminating in the pamphlet's selection as a Read Regional Choice for 2014.
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Imprint: Valley Press
Published: August 2012
ISBN: 9781908853073
Catalogue no: VP0037
Page count: 26
Trim size: 198 x 129 mm
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Praise for Destroyed Dresses:
‘In their dealings with things left unsaid, Cara Brennan’s poems can be eerily atmospheric and unsettling, as though written from a world next door to the everyday. Destroyed Dresses is an intriguing and promising start.’
– Sean O'Brien
‘Cara Brennan's first pamphlet moves with a passionate but precise gaze between memory and presence. Always alert to tiny details, both physical and emotional, she fixes on those imperfections that evoke perfectly her chilly landscapes and tender interiors. The image of the dress recurs – designed, worn, shed, recycled – a metaphor for her precise craft as well as a symbol of the heart's journey through these nimble and compelling poems.’
– W.N. Herbert
‘Poised and clear-spoken, these poems capture the fleeting moment. Brennan details human warmth, ever alive to the wider world's chill. Her imagery shimmers, her tone is urgent.’
– Christy Ducker
About the author
Cara Brennan was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in 1990, and currently lives in Newcastle. She graduated from the Newcastle University Creative Writing MA with distinction. Her poems have appeared in magazines including Ink Sweat & Tears, The Cadaverine, Pomegranate, Diamond Twig and Myths of the Near Future. She is a proud graduate of the Writing Squad, where she completed the ‘Stanza Stones’ project with Simon Armitage. Her debut poetry pamphlet, Destroyed Dresses, was published by Valley Press in 2012, and was a Read Regional choice in 2014.