Stevie Edwards is a poet, editor, and educator: read why that is

Sadness Workshop: Poems by Stevie Edwards is one of those books that you do not expect a lot of. Around thirty pages, what can she possibly have to say? A lot apparently. Twenty-four poems talking about life. Twenty-four poems talking about the ups and downs of being alive.  When I see something set up so “small” I cannot help but wonder if there is a reason behind it or was that all she had at the time? Twenty-four poems: Twenty-four hours in a day? Less than thirty pages is she saying life is short?

After reading Sadness Workshop in one night (two sittings…. that nap was needed thank you very much) I realized that was the wrong way to read these poems. You really need to Sit. Read. Sit. Reread. And maybe not in one sitting should I have read them all. Maybe taken my time and made this a month long read. Edwards words are lovely. They are speaking out to us. As her dedication says, “for anyone who needs this.” However, I was not always sure what she meant.

For me, sometimes the poems title did not fit the poem. This is where a second reading would have helped. There are some great lines and even a few poems that I really got into. However, poems like “You love a sad boy” only a few lines long I was unsure why those words. Every word means something when there are only eighteen words in a poem. In the end, Edwards makes you think. And I think I will read her again.