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This may sound like a silly question but I'm genuinely curious. When you get a brand new book of poetry (either collection or anthology) do you like to read from cover to cover like a novel or dip in and out?
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If it's a poet I love, I'll binge read from cover to cover. For larger collections I usually dip in and out, mark the pages I want to revisit, etc. I always wondered this about people as well, great question!
I love these responses. I've always been a 'dipper'. I'm pretty sure the only books I've read cover to cover are No Matter The Wreckage by Sarah Kay and Depression And Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim. But I bought a book the other day (Space Struck by Paige Lewis if anyone's interested) and I think I'm going to give that a go cover to cover.
I was just interested what people's habits are.
Not to mention that the author had a reason for ordering the poems the way they did. Does dipping in and out kind of negate that? I put a chapbook/pamphlet together late last year and organising the poems was more stressful than writing my novel in November. (I might be overthinking the organising process but when I had my poems printed in front of me, it seemed like a very important decision.)
I’ll give a collection the first 3 poems. If I’m not hooked I’ll dip in and out, if I am it’ll be cover to cover!
I kind of just flip to a page and start in the middle. I like to jump around the book rather than read cover to cover
I'm a 'dipper'.
Not a silly question at all, Rachel.
I think the first time I read any poetry book, I read it cover to cover. Maybe it's a habit from reading a lot of novels. But when I re-read, I go back to those ones that are my favourites or are just so beautiful that it calls to you.