Enjoying this book? Help it get discovered by casting your vote!
Loved it! 😍
An emotional poetic journey through the city of New York where the poet delves into the complex nature of love
His Name is New York is a love story that draws a parallel between a person and the city itself.
Using a blend of poetry, prose, and photography, the book immerses the reader in a journey where New York and a lover seem to share the same power—to inspire, to overwhelm, and to leave an indelible mark.
Each poem captures a fleeting moment, a feeling, or a thought, while the prose reflects the inner journey of self-discovery, exploring love through the lens of past traumas, present excitement, and an uncertain future.
His Name Is New York by Mariana L Paz is a poetry collection set mostly in New York and depicts a chronological journey through a relationship. It is hard to say if the poet is trying to get over a man or the city of New York itself. Perhaps both. The poet falls in love, enters a committed relationship, breaks up, and struggles thereafter with love and its complexities. The poet writes that she wishes for her poems to “be a mirror” to her readers. It is safe to say in this collection she succeeded.
The structure of the poems is mostly free rhyme with few other poetic devices utilized. The strength of the poetry is in the relatability and the strength of the emotions portrayed. The language hits hard and many reading it would say: “This is how I feel”. The rhythm and meter are balanced in a way that portrays the poet's ideas well. As an example:
The lives of nomadic souls
mimic unending carousel rides,
while the wanderer’s mischief
irrevocably overwhelms a weak mind like mine.
Throughout the volume, the writer added some short-form prose, enhancing the book's chronological nature. Artistic photographs contribute to the telling and usually clarify a certain poem's meaning while betraying a deep love for the city of New York.
The reader walks through the volume exploring the depth of loss and fear and rebuilding trust. Asking perhaps as the poet did:
“Stubborn conviction to bet on love
when the players have a broken heart.”
It is a volume I would recommend to anyone who does not look at poetry as academic, but rather an extension of the feelings that need a piece of paper to bleed on. If that is what you need in a book, I recommend His Name Is New York.
Reviewed by
My name is Antionette van der Gryp. I have lived in South Africa and the UK, but I consider myself a world traveler. In 2023 I published my debut novel Human and was recently a recipient of the 2023 Shelf Unbound Notable 100 book award.
Synopsis
His Name is New York is a love story that draws a parallel between a person and the city itself.
Using a blend of poetry, prose, and photography, the book immerses the reader in a journey where New York and a lover seem to share the same power—to inspire, to overwhelm, and to leave an indelible mark.
Each poem captures a fleeting moment, a feeling, or a thought, while the prose reflects the inner journey of self-discovery, exploring love through the lens of past traumas, present excitement, and an uncertain future.
About the author
I am a 25-year-old creative soul from the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez border, based in Dallas and working in as a copywriter. I write as a means to translate the crypted language of emotions: to give words to that which can not be explained. For my poetry to be a mirror to their reader. view profile
Published on November 16, 2024
Published by
10000 words
Worked with a Reedsy professional 🏆
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by
Discover more books like His Name is New York
Create your free account to help this book get discovered and decide on the bestselling stories of tomorrow.
or
Or sign up with an
Or sign up with your social account