by Mary Karr
First published 1987
In "Abacus," Mary Karr's acclaimed debut poetry collection, the reader is drawn into the gritty, unvarnished world of a working-class childhood. From the opening lines, Karr's voice rings with raw honesty, painting vivid scenes of family strife, economic struggle, and the simmering tensions of a life on the margins. Through a series of tightly-wound, imagistic poems, Karr lays bare the emotional truths of her upbringing, finding both beauty and pain in the small moments that shape a life. Oscillating between wry humor and deep melancholy, "Abacus" is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of hardship.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, poetry, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: found-family, raw-honesty
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
57 pages · Hardcover · Wesleyan University Press