Every page of Lyndsay Rush's debut poetry collection, A Bit Much, sparkles with the same clever energy and sly sense of humor she brings to her popular Instagram account, @maryoliversdrunkcousin. "This is a book about fun and feelings," she writes in the introduction "and, occasionally, potato chips." A Bit Much delivers on that promise--and then some--with poems that invite joy and reflection on every page, delivered with a wink, a nod, and a bit of wordplay sure to delight as much as it will inspire. "Whether we like it or not, some things take time: intricate pastries, building credit, Zoom meetings, balayage/ .../ and remember that, of all the things you should never postpone/ make sure joy is at the top of the list."
Rush notes in the introduction that she had not considered herself a poet until she came to realize that for her, "a poem is simply a joke with an epilogue." This approach makes her work accessible (and funny), with the title of each poem providing the key necessary to unlock deeper meaning. In "Mermaid in America," she muses on the cultural narratives around her knees (the "most troublesome area" of her own body). "Like Trying to Hold a Snowflake" is a reminder to pay attention, "so I can grab the moment/ as it falls/ and make sure/ its magic soaks into/ my skin."
Rush plays with form, too, as much as words. Some poems, like "Wet n Wild Geese (After Mary Oliver)," are loosely inspired by words of other famous poets and imbued with Rush's sense of the world: "You do not have to be good/ at makeup./ You do not have to walk on your knees/ for a hundred miles through a Sephora, repenting." She also experiments with erasure poetry, poems without traditional line breaks, lists as poetry, and more.
A Bit Much is loosely organized by theme (love, revelations, confidence, comfort); across this structure, Rush ruminates on body image, self-care, leaving a dogmatic religion. She encourages a reframe ("It's not a vending machine,/ it's an arcade game/ you always win") and invites presence ("Sounds holy, if you ask me,/ to be sold on life as-is/ to just exist"). Individually, each poem here is packed with wit and wisdom; collectively, A Bit Much is a tribute to finding the fun and the funny in the hard parts of life--and to the ways poetry can facilitate that discovery. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer
Shelf Talker: This clever collection is as tender as it is wise, inviting readers to find the fun and the funny in the hard parts of life--and discover the many ways poetry can help facilitate that finding.