Disenchanted and Disgruntled by Michelle Hartman

The poem, “Used People” (p.40) is a glimpse into the world of the used bookstore shopper.

The second section, “Myths,” the reader is introduced to Hartman’s interpretation of what makes myths. Another poem, “The fallout of fairytales” looks at what happens to the dwarfs after they fed, clothed, and cared for Snow White and she runs away with someone else. It seems Grandmother could not resist the seduction of the wolf. In the poem, “By the way” readers are once again treated to a visit from the wolf. In Hartman’s vision, this grandmother gets plastic surgery and gets rid of her, “…flour-sack dress”(line 2, p13). In the poem, “Grandmother got game”(p13) the reader meets the grandmother from the Red Riding Hood tale. At times, Hartman looks at the secondary character most readers may not remember from their childhood. In the first section, “Fairytales,” Hartman seems to channel Anne Sexton’s collection of reimagined fairytales called, “Transformations.” Hartman looks at the underside of fairytales. The poetry collection, split in three sections, takes a reader on a journey through an education of storytelling starting with “Fairytales” moving on to “Myths” and ending with, “Reality.” Hartman’s ability see and write things the reader either refuses to see or has glossed over gives her poetry a one-two punch which makes her poetry stay with the reader. After reading Michelle Hartman’s new poetry collection, readers will not feel disenchanted or disgruntled.

Disenchanted and Disgruntled by Michelle Hartman