Softly Glowing Exit Signs is Georgia Park’s second collection of poetry and, in my humble opinion, is even better than the first. Her first collection was witty, pithy and touching and Park established herself as a voice for the 21st century. Softly Glowing Exit Signs not only continues to secure Park’s place as a must-read, modern poet, but it demonstrates how much Park’s writing has matured since the first collection; how much she has had to overcome and master in the years between the releases.
The sections of this collection chart change and experience. Park’s writing is far more sincere and heartwrenching. She wields great skill with the written word - most notably shown in the two short stories included in this collection. Park harnesses our fears and weaves them into compelling pieces of fiction; and I would argue that Softly Glowing Exit Signs is worth reading just for these.
Park also remains a writer I can read and read and read. Her style is unique and will fight against any box you attempt to put it in. Thus, I read this collection in one sitting and have since returned to some of my favourites: Decor and Decorum, which also appeared in her first collection, Late and For How Stupid I Was, & Lost.
It is difficult to sum up Park’s style because in many ways it is ever changing, from piece to piece. What Park does always achieve, however, is capturing raw humanity in her stories and poems. She is so well-versed in human nature, the reader, perhaps quite frighteningly, shall always find themselves in her words.