Thank you for visiting the website of Samantha Kolber, poet and editor in Montpelier, Vermont. Read some poems, buy a book (available after September 1st) and keep supporting poetry!
Reviews & Praise
On Birth of a Daughter (Kelsay Books, 9/1/20):
“Birth of a Daughter is a mesmerizing poetry collection celebrating a bond between a mother and her daughter. Using deeply personal verses, Samantha Kolber gives an unabashed narration of motherhood through its various stages and how it changes the course of a person's life alongside that of her child. Whether going through the rigors of pregnancy, including false labor and swelling, or worrying about the safety of your unborn child, these poems and poetic stories showcase motherhood in all its forms.
In ‘I Am Marked,’ Kolber gives an unflinching account of the toll pregnancy takes on a mother's body and, sometimes, even makes her feel betrayed by it. In ‘7-Minute Fairytale,’ a poetic story, a mother contemplates the horrors of the world that she must protect her daughter from. The gravity and weight of Samantha Kolber's verses are bound to strike a chord with mothers everywhere.
There is an emotional resonance to Kolber's poetic flair that we can relate to with our personal experiences of motherhood. Birth of a Daughter is a moving collection that captures the anxiety, fears, wonders, and joy of motherhood in vibrant colors. Kolber never shies away from touching upon the challenging aspects of motherhood, which ultimately makes the whole process much more rewarding when a new mother cradles her child for the first time. I found this collection poignant and inspirational, and I highly recommend it to all poetry lovers.”
–Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite, 5-Star Review
“Kolber writes with intimate, visceral authority ... Like salt-water pearls, these raw, gorgeous poems glow... ”
“Birth of a Daughter is an honest and vivid portrait of new motherhood. It is a chapbook about intimacy and love, both for the child and for the self. “There is a world at my fingertips. / Or, I am the world — fingertipped” Kolber writes in her poem “A(u)reola.” These poems are a beautiful witness to that common, yet utterly profound occurrence of birth. ”
“Birth of a Daughter is not a collection of poems about Samantha Kolber’s child. Rather, it’s about Kolber herself experiencing and examining the various losses that go hand in hand with new life.”
“Above all, the collection is funny, timeless, and frequently surprising in its frankness and subtlety, following the traditions of Rukeyser and Lorde, among other poets who celebrate and cast a vital, unsparing light on motherhood.”
“Kolber’s words are creative not only in the story they tell, but in the shapes they take on the page—energetic in their placement, bouncing, creating a lovely rhythm to be read. Like music, like the beat of a drum, like rain.
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“Birth of a Daughter is an important addition to an authentic conversation about motherhood that goes beyond trite, worn-out tropes...This collection is up late at night, proud, naked, feral, conflicted. It reveals why birthing a daughter matters, and why being a daughter matters. ”
“Though she was stressed and weary in her postpartum years, Kolber was inspired to turn thoughts on childbirth and nurturing into works of art. Her poems show skill and versatility in form. ”
“It was a quick read filled with heavy emotions. The way the author described her feelings was beautiful! I highly recommend this poetry book to everyone! ”
“The excitement of this book lies in its daring exploration of childbirth—how the pregnant mother feels, how her body works or doesn’t work, what it is like to be the bearer of another person. ”
On the poem “Jewel Tones”:
“One of the many difficulties of writing in strict form is the pitfall of allowing the form of the poem to take over the content or the intention of the poet. In “Jewel Tones” we see the opposite: A poet utilizing the form to carry the very human desire of the person writing it.”
Check out the list of full reviews below and please feel free to write your own on Goodreads, Amazon, or anywhere else that publishes book reviews. Thank you!
Birth of a Daughter 5-Star Review on Readers’ Favorite.
“This Is Love” review by Courtney B. Jenkins on the New Pages Blog.
“I Am The World”: A Review (and Analysis) of Samantha Kolber’s BIRTH OF A DAUGHTER, by Tristan Beach in Pif Magazine.
Birth of a Daughter review by Michelle Singer in Journal of Motherhood Studies.
Birth of a Daughter review by Kristen Ravin in “Page 32: Short Takes on Five Vermont Books,” Seven Days VT.
“Birth of a Daughter: Poems by Samantha Kolber” review by Janet McCann in Mom Egg Review.
Birth of a Daughter by Samantha Kolber review by George Longenecker in Main Street Rag.