“Asylum: Poems and Memoir” by Elizabeth Marino (★★★★★)
Vagabond Books │ 2020 │ 68 pages
"Without her turning quickly / to light a small lamp, to glance / over and through the clear vinyl shower curtain / and draw the deadbolt, pull the latch and / slip closed the chain, giving a slight path / for good measure" Body Language, Elizabeth Marino
Poetry is often treated like a dying art, but the problem is not the form itself - it’s what readers are being offered. When a book like Asylum exists, it’s clear poetry can still rival the novel in depth, momentum, and emotional force. Elizabeth Marino has crafted something you genuinely don’t want to put down. The collection works as a unified whole, each poem feeding the next, building a continuous narrative rather than scattering isolated moments across the page—which works well when skillfully done and especially with lyrical poetry. But in Asylum that cohesion becomes part of the book’s power.
What stands out most is how seamlessly Marino blends narrative drive with lyric intensity. Even when the work shifts away from overt political themes and into intimacy and longing, it never loses focus or purpose. This is especially striking given that Asylum is also a memoir. The reflective prose pieces at the end are raw and unsettling, grounding the poetry in lived experience and moral urgency.
Asylum moves through decades of American life—politics, culture, violence, survival—with clarity and heart. It’s difficult at times, and deeply rewarding.
For Femficatio Asylum demonstrates well considered literary technique, possesses a decisive message and is genuinely absorbing. Marino is a favourite contemporary poet of Femficātiō’s, and we highly recommend this book.
Star Review Breakdown:
Literary Technique: ★★★★½
Message Quality: ★★★★★
Entertainment Value: ★★★★★
Star Value: 4.8 Stars
