Michelle Tooker

The Livelihood of Crows

payal — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000

In her latest collection of poetry, Jayne Pupek, who brought us Forms of Intercession, shows that she still knows how to rivet readers.

The Livelihood of Crows swells with fresh phrases and unique images, making it difficult to select just a few favorite lines from the collection. In “Skeptic in Apt 23,” “loneliness / reaches its peak season, it tastes like neon lights / short circuiting on my tongue.” “Census of Seagulls” turns faith into a “paper bag I breathe into when air is scarce.” In Pupek’s world “leaves gossip in the wind,” “jars of pearl onions glisten like small moons,” “beige taproots fondle each other without asking” and “abundance is found in the fusion of our mouths.”

As indicated by the title, birds take a prominent role in Pupek’s most recent poems. Crows “vie for positions along the roofline,” gulls form white umbrellas and blackbirds swallow morning. A pet parakeet helps a woman to deal with abortion, while seagulls swoop overhead “watchful as midwives.”

In the title poem, crows and crow imagery serve to depict the speaker’s affair with a man named Jackson. The speaker explains the livelihood of crows by saying “we are all replicas.” When Jackson returns to his sick wife, the speaker watches “the red eyes of your taillights disappear” and the “crows divide the sky into halves.”

“Prayer of the Drowned Woman” features a woman who asks to be plucked from the ocean floor and put back together with “sparrow bones and glue.” Meanwhile, seagulls circle nearby and cry for buttered corn. The bird imagery continues when the speaker reminisces about being “fed on collected / berries passed mouth to mouth.” Through these illustrations, the poem highlights the ways in which we lose our ability to breathe.

Pupek also examines some hot-button political issues such as terrorism and economic decline. “Terror is the new catch phrase. Were we always afraid and didn’t / know it? / The fairytales told to us as children may have been the first acts of terrorism,” she writes in “At the Gallery: New Artists’ Series.” “Recession Song” explores forfeited dreams as “stars dim in the haze of foreclosure” and “clocks tick on in sync.”

There is no shortage of beauty in this collection that was crafted by a poet who’s mastered the art of infusing words with a rhythm that haunts and surprises.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, December 25th 2010

Burning of the Three Fires

annette — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Jeanne Marie Beaumont

BOA Editions

Burning of the Three Fires marks the third collection of poems from Jeanne Marie Beaumont. Beaumont, who won a National Poetry Series award for her first book, experiments with form and examines the female condition in her latest collection. The result is a vibrant mix of poems that keep readers turning the pages and analyzing the words before them.

“Girl on a Scale,” though not atypical in form, vividly depicts an eating disorder. Beaumont utilizes imagery and diction seamlessly to convey the “ungrowing” of one who is suffering from body image and eating issues. As the speaker enters a dream-like world, filled with icicles that masticate air and saplings, she imagines her daughter standing at the edge of her bed in the form of a seabird. “But birds eat constantly,” she thinks, realizing it can’t be the same girl who lets “food fall away/from her mouth.” Some of the most striking lines that offer a realistic image of eating disorders are: “Not a gain again./Ungrown so thin she slipped/between the bars/and hunkered/inside her cage.” As the poem concludes, the speaker wakes up and sees “it was she in the bed,/toward her/the IV dripped dripped/like an early thaw.” It makes for a powerful ending to such a haunting poem.

The title poem, “Burning of the Three Fires,” gives readers the opportunity to do more of their own interpreting. While “Rite (to Combat a Bad Mood)” offers eight mostly nonsensical tips and observations that are uplifting and really do combat a sour mood.

“Channeling Sylvia: 8-Ball (Interrogation)” is a verbatim transcript from a Magic 8-Ball conversation Beaumont had with Sylvia Plath. It is humorous and deviates from the typical poem in its question-and-answer structure.

Burning of the Three Fires shows that Beaumont isn’t afraid to exercise her craft by experimenting with new forms of poetry. Her work offers a refreshing blend of phrases and images that intrigue and inspire.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, October 27th 2010

Clamor

annette — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Elyse Fenton

Cleveland State University Poetry Center

Elyse Fenton’s first book of poems, Clamor, features some of the finest contemporary poetry on war. She captures both the battlefield and the homefront with an unwavering realism. Her imagery is fresh and her language rich.

Fenton opens her book with a definition of the word “clamor” which is quite striking. Laid side-by-side the three definitions—a noisy shouting, insistent public expression, and silence—are not only surprising to the reader, but also instantly establish the tone of the collection. These poems are about the chaos surrounding contradiction, expression, love and silence.

“Gratitude,” the first poem in Clamor, captures the aforementioned themes with perfectly selected diction and unsettling images. “Wreckage was still smoldering on the airport road / when they delivered that soldier—beyond recognition,” and “And I love you more for holding the last good flesh/of that soldier’s cock in your hands, for startling his warm blood/back to life,” are lines that depict the mix of the macabre and the emotion that those in, or dealing with, war witness. The soldiers and their loved ones back home are forced to live in “that moment just before we think/the end will never come and then/the moment when it does.”

One of the best lines in the collection is in “Your Plane Arrives from Iraq for the Last Time.” In this piece, the speaker is hypersensitive to the ongoings of objects around him or her, which leads to some superb and original descriptions, including “caesura of rotors” and “the road toward post/needle-pricked in brake lights.” The poem ends with: “And at the end/of the longest sentence I’ve ever known/your face in the window’s fogged aperture/stranded noun. Rorschach of stars. Beautiful thing.” With the paring down of the language in the phrase “beautiful thing” we are really given a sense of the speaker’s state of mind. After describing everything so vividly, we are left with a simple phrase that truly captures the speaker’s devotion and longing for the returning soldier.

Fenton’s use of language and mastery of craft dominant the entire collection and also helped her to win the Cleveland State University Poetry Center First Book Prize, which was judged by D.A. Powell.

Anyone interested in war, particularly the invasion of Iraq, and its affect on those at home and overseas should pick up this collection. It is a testament to the passion and good that exists in this world, in spite of destruction.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, October 26th 2010

Calyx (Summer 2010, Issue Vol. 26 No. 1)

annette — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Edited by Editorial Collective

Serving as a forum for women’s creative work, Calyx, a literary journal of art and literature, has been publishing new, emerging and established female writers and artists for the last thirty-four years. The seventy-fifth issue celebrates Calyx’s success and progress, while showcasing the journal’s continued commitment to providing readers with an eclectic mix of poetry, short stories, photography, and other work.

All of the art and literature in Calyx is written or created by women and speaks to themes and issues relevant to the female sex. Be it a photograph, a ceramic sculpture, a nonfiction story or a poem, readers can identify with the issues of loss and hope that permeate the pieces in this journal.

Perhaps the most striking and provocative work in the seventy-fifth issue of Calyx is the art. RoCa Rodriguez Calero’s Virgen Maria collage offers a twenty-first century depiction of Jesus’ mother. The artist’s statement reads: “Instead of the traditional passive woman in blue who looks demurely down… the icon of the Virgen Maria has been contemporized and made more identifiable as a strong, intelligent, striking, and, yes, ‘hot-looking’ woman.” Deep reds and pastel purples and blues combine to reveal a fierce-eyed Virgin Mary. We see a Mary who is confident and proud—which is much different than the typical image.

Kate McCauley’s photographs Pelo and Inward concentrate on the present. Inward features an older woman deep in thought, while Pelo shows the face of a younger girl—the only one in the group of children to turn and look at the camera. Both images evoke a sense of mystery and beckon the viewer to ask questions and look at the photograph again and again.

While all of the stories in the Summer 2010 issue are intriguing and grabbed my attention, Amanda Leskovac’s nonfiction piece Where to Put a Period stood out. Leskovac tells her story of heartbreak and abortion while dealing with life as a quadriplegic. She broaches sex, society and men with wit and the full mastery of her craft.

The majority of the poems in Calyx also are engaging and fresh. Susan Lilley’s "Home Free," Michelle Brittan’s "I Go Back to May 1983," and Julie Moore’s "Intersection" were my favorites as all three poems deal with loss eloquently. Lilley writes “for a minute I feel home free/both parents safely dead, and/my children before daybreak/breathing in the same house.” Here, she captures the bittersweet moment of the death of the speaker’s parents and the return of her children. Moore’s “the day your organs, packed/in ice, were carried in coolers/across Ohio” give rhythm to an accident and depict the speaker’s inability to forget it.

"I Go Back to May 1983," which is after a Sharon Olds poem, recounts the meeting of the speaker’s parents who were once only pen pals. The ill-fated relationship leaves the speaker questioning her existence. She describes how her mother loses her identity in the process of living in America and having a child with a man she can’t relate to: “An accidental commitment to a whole continent, an embodiment/of one life closing and another unfolding, her food/becoming my food, my bones replacing her bones.” It’s a beautiful piece that speaks of multiculturalism, severed families and the creation of life at the cost of dramatically altering another’s.

Without naming names, some of the poems leave something to be desired in terms of mastery of craft. These works seem to have been chosen solely for the messages they attempt to convey. While they do cover pertinent topics, the diction and poetic structure in some of them doesn’t compare to the level of craft in the other works.

Aside from this one flaw, Calyx’s seventy-fifth issue is a refreshing read, complete in its variety of art and literature that relate to and inspire women.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, October 25th 2010

Find the Girl: Poems

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:01:00 +0000

By Lightsey Darst

Coffee House Press

Lightsey Darst’s first book of poetry, Find the Girl, offers a haunting look into the world of womanhood. She explores the missing and the murdered, the tragic (Helen of Troy, Atlantis), and the everyday girl who is discovering herself.

A number of Darst’s poems contain a true-crime slant, which I thoroughly enjoyed. In “Mary, Annie, Liz, Kate, Mary”—which are the names of Jack the Ripper’s victims—we are left to wonder “Whatever / became of the others.” The poem opens with “You left us nothing but names and dead faces, / the names men called you, faces / twisting away.” This stanza reveals how the victims in the Ripper case are usually treated—as unfortunate unknowns. But Darst gives us visuals of these women beyond the gruesome and grainy crime-scene photos. She describes their attire (“blue-trimmed coat” and “jay-feather hat”), and the fateful moments that led to their murders—“You followed a red trail to a narrow door.”

“JonBenet” not only explores the infamous unsolved case, but also relates back to the book’s title. “You didn’t want to be the girl anymore, wanted / to grow up, be what comes next, the lion” and “A girl is a woman / is a rack to be hung with gashed sky” are two examples of this quest for finding the girl—literally and figuratively—and understanding what it means to be female.

Find the Girl also examines sexuality, especially in its early, blossoming form. “A few things I learned about sex ed,” explores the puberty years: “Some girls had come in busty and without a chance. / We all had cravings, fingers, throbbing to music. / Then I didn’t know it was sex, would deny / when boyfriends asked me.” In “what’s the worst that can happen,” a girl grapples with sexuality and being called a slut, while in “House” a girl tries to understand rape. The girl asks “why / is it my part to allow / to have it in me / & open that store to others.”

Darst experiments with atypical forms in her poems, which sometimes adds ambiguity and causes disconnect. This detachment generally strengthens her poems and gives certain themes a more haunting quality. For instance, in “Didn’t you hear,” the reader gathers bits of information about a girl who went missing and her unknown abductor. We learn “in his cellar, above blackberry jelly, the highest jars / are flush with shorn-off women’s hair. (‘he eats them’).”

Overall, Find the Girl is a unique and dynamic collection of poetry. As we try to understand what it means to be female, we get to peer into the world of other girls, be them famous or average.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, June 15th 2010

I Was the Jukebox

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Sandra Beasley

W.W. Norton

As a poet myself, it’s inspiring to come across a writer like Sandra Beasley. Not only is she highly talented, but she’s also a young, female poet who has already published two book-length collections and received national recognition and awards. In her latest collection, I Was the Jukebox, it’s easy to see why she’s so successful. From the first page to the ninetieth page Beasley blends refreshing imagery with unique diction. She mixes myth and modernity. She creates lines that float from the pages and haunt your thoughts.

“You Were You,” which features the title line, is a primary example of Beasley’s mastery. From “I wanted to dance. I wanted a scotch. / I wanted you to take your hands off her” to “I played Aretha, Marvin, the Reverend Al” you can hear the rhythm in her poetry and you can clearly visualize the speaker’s life as a jukebox.

In “I Don’t Fear Death,” Beasley examines what’s behind nature and life from a female perspective: “what I really believe is that / we keep growing: infinite corn, / husk yielding to green husk. / I look back on the miles / connecting me to Earth, think / I’d have never worn those shoes.”

“Japanese Water Bomb” explores a relationship from both a male and female point of view. The subject of fragility is paired with Beasley’s vivid descriptions and musings and culminates in an explosive ending. Lines like “How the difference between an igloo and a block / of ice is only the body sheltered beneath it” lead to the powerful last few lines “How the moment splits, / a mitosis of love and chronology: how he is / her present. How she has become his past.”

Unlike many poets, Beasley effectively gives her subjects a voice. I Was the Jukebox includes a series of poems that allow things like an eggplant, a platypus, and a piano to speak. These poems make you stop and think “Wow, music really does seem to ‘slide loose’ from a piano,” and “Why is it called a duckbilled platypus anyways?”

Poetry is supposed to accomplish all that Beasley’s poems accomplish—it should make you think of something in a new way, it should leave you breathless, and it should follow you long after you’re done reading.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, June 13th 2010

New Collected Poems

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

By Eavan Boland

W.W. Norton

Combining eleven of Eavan Boland’s books, New Collected Poems presents readers with her finest work. Boland, a contemporary Irish poet, guides readers across thirty years of her work in this 307 page tome. During the journey, one begins to traverse tradition, grasp snippets of myth, and peer inside the life of this extraordinary woman.

Most of Boland’s poems are written in traditional forms, which give her work a smooth consistency. The reader has a map of what to expect in terms of sound, but is still surprised line by line. Boland has a keen ability to construct proper syntax while remaining consistent in sound. She employs this technique in all her poems, even the ones that break from tradition.

While many of her poems explore Irish politics and myth, Boland also focuses on issues of feminism. In “The Other Woman,” she describes the role of the abandoned wife. With eloquence she captures the heartache of infidelity with lines like: "I know you have a world I cannot share/Where a woman waits for you, beautiful/Young no doubt, protected in your care/From stiffening and wrinkling." In “It’s a Woman’s World” Boland speaks to all women of the sad fact that not much has changed for women over the course of history and ends the poem with “a burning plume/she’s no fire-eater/just my frosty neighbor/coming home,” which speaks to many women's contentment with their lot in life who live without a fire for something greater.

Boland holds mastery over her words and New Collected Poems is a travel through sound and thought.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, March 13th 2010

Smoove Lines: A Birthstone Bangle in Sterling Silver

admin — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:03:00 +0000

By The Pretty Peacock

For those who can’t seem to find unique (and affordable!) jewelry that isn’t of the sort sold in droves at retail chains, The Pretty Peacock is your answer. Self-proclaimed “Head Bird” Ana Talukder Simpson says The Pretty Peacock believes jewelry should evoke emotion, capture a memory, or tell a story; it’s not just about what matches with your outfit.

Smoove Lines is a perfect example of this mantra. Not only does it commemorate the month of your birth, but its simple elegance also captures a sense of ambition and determination—a bright stone in the middle of it all, both literally and figuratively. Featuring a smooth finish and a glimmering birthstone, the bangle stands alone perfectly or can be layered with other pieces. Mine is emerald and the stone really pops against the satin finish of the silver. Plus, the stone is set in between the two ends of the bracelet so it has an elegant wave-like design. It is handmade of hefty gauge sterling silver and the birthstone is handset, making it very durable.

What struck me even more than the bracelet, however, was the care and sophistication used in the packaging process. The bracelet came in a beautiful box embellished with The Pretty Peacock logo. Inside, the bracelet was contained within a velvet brown bag. With this level of care in presentation, you can see how delicately The Pretty Peacock treats its products. If you’re looking to wow someone with a gift, this is it.

The only thing to remember about this bracelet is that it has a standard inner diameter of two and a half inches. Due to the sturdy material used on the Birthstone Bangle you cannot adjust the size. However, since every item is created when you order it, you can ask for a smaller or larger size. Just keep in mind that there is no adjusting afterward.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, October 24th 2009

Resin Art Necklace

admin — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 06:07:00 +0000

By Michelle Stitz

The oil-in-resin necklace from native Californian artist Michelle Stitz is a unique piece unlike anything I have come across. The pendant is in the shape of a cube measuring 1.5 by 1.5 inches. Inside the cube is an original painting made of layers of oils, paint, and resin. Mine resembles a conch shell colored with gold and a deep red, and outlined in black. The background features a shade of natural beige and has wisps of orange along the sides that almost resemble tree branches.

The painting inside the pendant begs to be studied and analyzed, giving the wearer something to talk about with those who notice it. Upon my first time wearing it, I was asked numerous times where I purchased it, what it was made of and what it depicted. It’s a striking, one-of-a-kind piece and the type of necklace that makes you feel confident and independent.

Quality and craftsmanship also echo from this piece—both in the smooth texture of the pendant and the two links that hold it to its chain. The chain is a thick hoop with a discreet closure, making for an elegant wear. It is a versatile piece that can be worn to work, during a night out or to a more formal event.

This necklace is one of many that are part of a larger series entitled Mare Tranquillitatis, which means sea of tranquility. Stitz describes the tiny paintings from the series as “the little things in our collective subconscious that have gotten stuck and created who we have become.”

Other pendants from the series come in different shapes and feature various natural images like coral and floral designs. Colors vary from bold oranges to translucent pinks. Whichever design you choose, any of her oil-in-resin necklaces are sure to have a tranquil, inviting affect on both you and those who notice your unique jewelry.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, September 13th 2009

Micrographia

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:21:00 +0000

By Emily Wilson

University of Iowa Press

Monadnock. Ochers. Moraine. These are some of the terms you’ll find while reading Emily Wilson’s Micrographia. You will find yourself consulting Webster’s a lot. Unless, of course, you know a great deal about isolated rock hills and unconsolidated glacial debris. Heading spinning yet? If so, Wilson’s book of poetry is not for you.

While Wilson exhibits immense talent in selecting words that sound wonderfully together—“like ships squat-sparred” and “kelp closes up”—many of the words themselves are very scientific. This limits the scale of readers who can relate to her work. If you know little about earth science, nature and flora, you will find yourself in a strange new land that may be frustrating.

One critic describes Wilson’s work as “a speech whose power lies in its admitting to being ‘sort of true, sort of torturous.’” This sums up exactly how I felt reading Micrographia. While phrases like “more rose than rubiate” and “in the form of a forest of tulip trees” drew me into the poems and left me wanting more, I stumbled painfully over awkward phrases like “jouvence blue” and “rouge-wedged bogs.” There were just too many word couplings that felt obnoxiously ostentatious.

With this in mind, I must note that Wilson gained inspiration for her work from Robert Hooke’s own Micrographia, in which observations he made through the lens of his microscope. Wilson utilizes Hooke’s same painstaking observation to write about the world. And, it causes a sense of disconnect and frustration for an individual with a non-science background or little interest in the subject. However, those who thoroughly enjoy the intricacies of science, will admire Wilson’s ability to craft poetry reminiscent of Hooke’s remarkable observations.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, May 27th 2009

Praise Song for the Day: A Poem for Barack Obama's Presidential Inauguration

admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:24:00 +0000

By Elizabeth Alexander

Graywolf Press

Elizabeth Alexander’s Praise Song for the Day: A Poem for Barack Obama's Presidential Inauguration captures the essence of hope. Alexander unites all readers through illustrations of day-to-day activities. She begins “Each day we go about our business/Walking past each other, catching each other’s/Eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.” This opening stanza illuminates the monotony of daily activities by breathing new life into them. She gives hope life, which President Obama is all about.

Alexander continues her poetic ability by portraying the essence of American hard work: “Someone is stitching up a hem, darning/A hole in a uniform, patching a tire/Repairing the things in need of repair.” She manages to connect all of us through her words and even reiterates this point in her poem when she writes, “We encounter each other in words, words/Spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed/Words to consider, reconsider.”

Her diction invokes rich rhythm and strengthens the impact of each phrase. This is most clear in phrases like “in today’s sharp sparkle,” “brick by brick the glittering edifices,” and “a farmer considers the changing sky.”

The poem is elegantly printed on rich cream paper and features a textured dark blue cover. Gray Wolf was a little too generous with the spacing extending this fifteen-stanza, forty-three-line poem over ten pages. Despite this, the book as a whole captures the hope of January 20, 2009, in printed form—a form that can be passed on for generations.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, May 21st 2009

40 dayz

admin — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:53:00 +0000

By Motion

Women's Press

Staying true to her moniker Motion, Wendy Braithwaite’s _40 dayz _ takes readers on a fast-paced word journey. Doubling as a spoken word poet and hip-hop artist, it’s no surprise that Motion’s poems are full of a rhythm often unattainable by most poets. The subjects she writes on seem to develop their very own heartbeats—some thunder while others throb slowly.

Of the many subjects Motion covers, a primary topic is, of course, female issues. "Wombstory," a chapter in this collection, includes five poems that examine womanhood. "Blues" transforms the act of sex into a musical experience. Lines like “lips opened/but no sound would come/unless you played me” and “pulled limbs/pitches glistening/in beats/we remember/the fullness of this music” represent the correlation Motion creates between blues music and making love. The poem is one of the best in the collection because it uses such a fresh approach to a played out subject.

Irony is notable in the poem "October," which follows "Blues" and focuses on pregnancy. Utilizing nature imagery, the poem weaves a feeling of regret surrounding said pregnancy, but the unborn child maintains its strength.

Motion also takes a hearty stab at political issues. "Ownland Security" paints a picture of the accepted paranoia that follows today’s fear of terrorism. With short opposing phrases, Motion illustrates this concept, including images like “black suits/borders” and “finger print/strip search.” "Vet"_ describes the speaker’s encounter with a soldier and assesses his re-acclimation into 'normal' society: “Plastic prosthesis no paralysis of permanence/no dis ability [sic] no checks/something happened there/and I just haven’t been right.” These images convey much to many who may wonder what happens to soldiers when they return home from war.

A final thing that struck me about _40 dayz _ is that, unlike the poetry of some spoken word artists, you can still appreciate Motion’s work just by reading it on the page. While hearing it live would enhance the experience, it’s not essential for readers who want to grasp her messages and marvel at her talent.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, February 16th 2009

Wrongkong

admin — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 01:58:00 +0000

By Wrongkong

Minty Fresh

Wrongkong bounces through the speakers with a mix of haunting electronic and club sounds. They defy typical song structures through their use of daring beats and tempos, which makes their self-titled debut album both energetic and soothing. You may just find yourself closing your eyes to fully absorb the harmonies on such tracks as “Wide Open” and “Hiding.”

Paired with the melodies, however, are power-pop songs such as “Closer” and “Lovesick.” Listening to these tracks has a high probability of resulting in the sudden urge to dance around whatever room you happen to be in. “Real Boy” will make you wonder if you’ve flashbacked to the days of disco, but, unlike the cheesy songs of the era, you’ll choose to replay Wrongkong over and over again.

Fronted by female singer Cyrena, the lyrics are infused with phrases that many women can relate to. These include “it’s not easy to exist going unnoticed,” “you try to define me, but you don’t know where I was,” and “I love how you use me, soon I’m garbage then you’ll lose me and I’m free as a dove” (which anyone who has ever been used can belt out with fervency). Call me biased, but it is always refreshing to hear powerful female vocals from an up-and-coming band since many of today’s mainstream groups are headlined by men. So, if you’re looking for musical refreshment this latest act from Minty Fresh Records will certainly quench your thirst.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, June 20th 2008

Chocolate Hazelnut Massage Candle

admin — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 11:12:00 +0000

By Babeland

Babeland—a top sex toy retailer—offers plenty of bedroom additions perfect for making that next romantic night more memorable. The company prides itself on being female-friendly and encourages women to explore all areas of their sexuality. Customers can privately shop from their home computers or venture into one of their stores in New York, Seattle, or Los Angeles.

Their aromatic massage candle is one of their more traditional yet intriguing products. As the candle melts, luxuriously scented massage oil forms. The oil remains liquefied long after the flame is extinguished and feels great on the skin. The website assures customers that the product is “skin safe” and is made of soy. As I have sensitive skin I was hesitant about using the massage oil, but I did not encounter any problems.

The end product is thick, silky and smells wonderful. You can choose from Chocolate Hazelnut, Mango Vanilla or Mojito Peppermint. The Chocolate Hazelnut is richly fragranced and leaves skin pleasantly scented long after the massaging ends. Also, the candle conveniently comes with matches so there’s no scrambling for a lighter when the mood strikes. Babeland also reminds users not to leave the candle unattended and to extinguish the flame before using.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, July 3rd 2007

Candylion

admin — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 18:05:00 +0000

By Gruff Rhys

Rough Trade

While the interesting paper lion on the cover of Candylion – the new solo album from Super Furry Animals front man – may attract you at first, the soothing melodies are what will keep you listening. This 12-track album is packed with cotton-candy rhythms – some smooth, sweet and lullabyish and others poppy and mesmerizing.

Listening to the album is like reading a fairytale; your ears are brought into an enchanting, harmonious world of gentle lyrics like “a long time ago in the Kingdom of Candy” and “raindrops fill my eyes.” From the 50 second intro to the 14+ minute final track, the album progresses, unlike most compilations which simply move from track to track. While some lyrics on Candylion are rather strange and enigmatic, the overall lyrical quality is both refreshing and engaging. The title track includes extremely catchy lyrics and beats that will have your head bobbing wherever you are. Lyrics in the nearly 15 minute song, "Skylon!," however, will leave you with questions about airplane trips and terrorism. Through his clever words, Rhys paints a picture of the current level of fear centered around plane travel and makes important statements in the process.

Rhys is a true renaissance artist as he sings not only in English, but also in Welsh and Spanish. The addition of other languages serves to enhance his already captivating harmonies. Candylion also includes splendid vocal accompaniments by Lisa Jen of 9bach. So, whether you need to relax, are heading out for a long drive or are just ready to jive, Candylion has it all in between its intriguing cover.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, June 2nd 2007