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Poetry that wrestles with language, loss, and resilience in times of crisis. In
Trying × Trying, Dora Malech dissects the language of our times; she turns over the familiar phrases of politics, parenthood, and pandemic to reveal what lies beneath. Through playing with the double meaning of "trying" as both perseverance and reproductive struggle, these poems navigate public and private spheres and interrogate the words we use to make sense of uncertainty and belief.
With sharp lyricism and restless energy, Malech transforms language into prayer and protest. Sound bends, meanings shift, and repetition becomes a revelation as she traces the tensions between individual and collective experience.
Trying × Trying is an enlightening meditation on persistence, reminding us that even in fractured times, poetry finds a way forward.
About the author
Dora Malech is a poet and associate professor in the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University and editor-in-chief of
The Hopkins Review. Her most recent book of poetry is
Flourish, and her poems have appeared in numerous publications, including
The New Yorker, Poetry, and
The Best American Poetry.
