parallels – like tone on tone colours – to connect and offer alternate views
Reduction Fired - poetry collection
Do you feel like you have been "reduction fired" in your life?
As Jennifer explains in her book, "Reduction refers to the pottery method of firing a piece in low oxygen conditions – typically by slowly reducing the oxygen that feeds the kiln’s fire.
Some colours of glazes result from reduction that aren’t achieved in oxidation. It may also be that the fuel–starved fire pulls oxygen from the clay itself, and in doing so draws elements from deep in the clay up to the glaze. This can make it harder to determine the precise outcome of the glazed piece.
Reduction can even change the texture of the clay."
Further, Jennifer's poems are also kept minimal, like a culinary "reduction" of verse.
... stunning poetry that you can easily get lost in. I loved the abundance of nature imagery that was a consistent theme throughout...You could definitely tell that every sentence was carefully placed and had a clear sense of purpose...Reduction Fired is an impressive collection that develops such themes as love, strength, loss and so much more. It also felt like a personal, embodied work, reminiscent about life, both the highs and lows. I thought it was a joy to read.
Lois Cudjoe, LoveReadingUK, England
...I have many poetic collections on my bookshelf, but none of them is similar to this one... Camara has managed to create an enchanting picture in just a few lines or even a single line. This is even more astonishing considering that the lines often consist of three words or less...The delicacy of the images and the brevity of Camara's poetry will remain as vivid impressions in my memory... a standalone book in my collection." (5 STARS)
Astrid Lustulin, Readers' Favorite, USA
"...The allure of nature and its effortless rhythm provide the vibrant outline, but the themes of life, love, and loss are what color the pages...Camara time and again makes the art of creating poetry seem effortless...The words are plain and unadorned, but the feelings they summon are visceral and untamed...Made for those who appreciate the intricacies of life and for any whose heart has an aching need... (5 STARS)
Jennifer Jackson, Indies Today, USA
...The poems are written primarily in free verse with a heavy emphasis on poetic dissonance that punches through the stanzas. They also vary in length...Poetry is often difficult to review because, unlike books, the artform is almost completely subjective. As a poetess, Jennifer Yeates Camara is a Jackson Pollock of her craft. Reduction Fired unapologetically pushes forward constructive chaos in a beautiful and deeply emotional written form of the abstract expressionist movement...Highly recommended. (5 STARS)
Jamie Michele, Readers' Favorite, USA
...Jennifer Yeates Camara has a lovely way with words. Each of her poems feels personal and truthful. She searches within herself and finds pieces of her mind, heart, and soul. The ability to write the way Camara does is refreshing. Reduction Fired gives us a glimpse into the deepest parts of Jennifer Yeates Camara, uniting the reader with the author in an honest way."
Rachel M. Patterson, Reedsy, USA
...stands out in its sincerity and its expressive minimalism ... and much of the volume's appeal comes from its diversity ... poems are mostly pared down to the universal, stirring a satisfying and enlightening effect ... True to the economy of language of influences like Rabindranath Tagore, this grounded, spiritually curious collection offers an unpredictable inquiry into nature, relationships, and the styles that have inspired the poet. Takeaway: Myung Mi Kim, Lucille Clifton. Great for fans of: Scrupulous in their minimalism, these poems still are alive with meaning and feeling.
Booklife, New York, USA
...the reader is immersed in metaphors of light and sound reflective of music...There are scholarly reflections, too...there is considerable depth in her poems...She is an artist on many levels. Reduction Fired is a stunning, provocatively pensive collection of poems and photographs to enjoy many times over." (5 STARS)
Emily-Jane Hills Orford, Readers' Favorite, USA
...The author’s descriptions are vivid. A cormorant is portrayed as “slick and near / soundless.” Pines dance “dramatic / slow ballets” while maples move to “lively jazz.” Yeates Camara’s similes are strong, from “rippling like the elephant’s ear / or ticking tails like bulls” to “A heart peaceful and lively / Like a child running arms full span.”...
Kirkus Reviews
...the author shares snippets of experiences from various relationships (not all romantic) as well as other events from her life...The poems...show the growth within the author but also how the events of her life has left a scar that is still healing. The most moving verses are found in the poem title Michelle, who lost her battle with bi-polar depression.
@melisbookreviews, Goa, India
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Jennifer is deeply appreciative of your time and support.
