It’s really difficult to speak of Anne Carson. Half the time I couldn’t even explain what she’s on about, I am not wise and erudite like her, so when she gets all scholarly it’s like a fever dream to me: there’s always a deep inherent logic and rhythm to her poetry collections, but I can’t usually see a way for me to put it to words without muddying it. I guess that’s what happens when you really love the way I love Anne Carson’s writing. 

Let’s go with some facts. Decreation was first published in 2006 and the dedication states, quite simply, “for my students”. Then there’s a quote so that you start to get a feel of what you’re in for: “I love a poetical kinde of a march, by friskes, skips and jumps.”

The book could be a handful of books, each part in it stands on its own and is quite different to the rest. I like them together though, and so does Anne. Onward we friske and skip. 

My favorite part was “EVERY EXIT IS AN ENTRANCE (A Praise of Sleep)”, and I will read it again and again and again. 

I’m still thinking about the titular essay and the women she wrote about: Sappho, Marguerite Porete, and Simone Weil. Their obsession with love and God. Now these women live with me, too.

I’d say it’s important to read Anne Carson at least once a year, especially in winter. Start with The Beauty of the Husband, if you’ve got a boy to dump, and work your way up from there. 

Why read Anne Carson, anyway? Well — the seven of swords says that whatever she’s on about, even if it’s lies, she’s going to get away with it because of her unwavering purpose. Her texts are always building up to something, like that knight of coins. And when she aims to decreate, so she does. You end up knowing even less than before, like the page of coins, but excited as hell to keep on learning and unlearning.