Chrissi Sepe

A Review of Christina Strigas’s “Love & Gaia”

A BOOK REVIEW BY CHRISSI SEPE

Christina Strigas is a Montreal poet who has published several poetry books, including Love & Vodka and Love & Metaxa.  Her words are raw and honest, written in a stream-of-consciousness style, and they reveal the inner life of a woman in love, a brave mother, and a human being who seeks to see beauty in the simple, everyday things. Her newest poetry book, Love & Gaia, completes this trilogy, but rather than speaking the thoughts of a woman, this book is told through the point of view of our planet Earth.

All the poems in Love & Gaia were originally written by hand in Christina’s journal.  Perhaps this method helped her get closer to our physical world than if she had used technology? 

In Love & Gaia, our Earth has a voice.  In one poem, the tree expresses its sorrow: “My cousin’s arms connected to mine. We were together for over four hundred years. I heard some humans and their machines coming closer, but we could not run.”

In another poem, the shells collected at the beach tell their feelings: “Take me out of the plastic bag that has killed my soul. Place me in a jar. People love to stare at me. Sometimes pick me up.”

Love & Gaia reminds us of our connection to the earth and prompts us to not take it for granted.  Christina also dedicates a chapter to “Tea Leaves,” reciting how green tea is a natural elixir: “You make my mind stop tossing and turning. Somehow, I am calm when you are on my lips.”

As a special bonus, each chapter features black and white illustrations that perfectly complement the poems printed beside them. My favorite is a drawing of a tea bag personified. The tea bag’s clothes are its tag and string, and its hat is an upside down teacup. 

Christina Strigas’ unique ode to nature is creative and refreshing.  I have never read a poetry book like Love & Gaia, and I will never take nature for granted again.

(Photo of Christina Strigas)

Christina’s book can be purchased at Amazon, here, and at Barnes & Noble, here.

Chrissi Sepe’s most recent appearance at Fast Pop was here.

Excerpt from a Novel by Chrissi Sepe

(From her novel-in-progress, Taming Jaguars.)

from wallup.net

Vera opened the French doors of her kitchen. “Linda,” she said warmly.  

An older woman wearing thin, baggy, beige pants, a white blouse, and a navy blue and orange silk scarf walked inside. She looked about Vera’s age. Her mousy brown hair was put back in a ponytail, and she wore a green sun visor hat. I hadn’t seen anyone wear a hat like that since the 1980’s. 

As Linda stood by the kitchen island, I read the designer labels on her shoes and purse. 

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said to Vera, giving me a thorough look up and down. “I didn’t think you’d have someone from the Center here so early.”  

I had no idea what she was talking about.

“Oh no, no,” Vera said. “This is Jasmine. She’s Patsy’s friend.” Vera walked to my stool and gently patted my shoulder. “Of course, she’s my friend now, too.” She smiled, and sweetly looked into my eyes.

“Of course,” Linda said. But she didn’t smile, and she didn’t say it sweetly. I still didn’t know what ‘the Center’ was. Vera immediately cleared it up, as if she read my mind.

“I guess Patsy didn’t tell you, Jasmine.” Patsy shook her head ‘no’ from behind the stove, as Vera explained. “I volunteer at a Women’s Recreation Center.” 

“Battered Woman’s Shelter,” Linda corrected her.

“That’s not accurate at all.” Vera motioned to Linda to sit down on a stool beside me, but she remained standing. “They don’t live there,” Vera continued. “It’s just a place for them to go as a safe and supportive space. These women are in a period of transition. Sometimes, they have just left an abusive marriage, other times, it’s a turbulent, dead-end relationship.”

“Most of the time, they just don’t want to end up dead!” Linda laughed at her own joke, and it was the first time she looked happy since she walked through the door. But her sour mood didn’t phase Vera at all. She just giggled and offered her French coffee which Linda finally felt comfortable enough to share with us. 

Chrissi Sepe appeared previously at our main site, New Pop Lit, with the feature story, “We Love to Watch Zee Cockroaches.” She’s also appeared in our zeens, most recently in Fun Pop Poetry, available at our POP SHOP.  

We also posted here a note about Chrissi’s previous novel Iggy Gorgess.

Iggy Gorgess

I JUST WANTED to post a quick note about this novel I’m reading about a punk who moves to Manhattan– into a tiny apartment with furniture painted black– and his various ensuing adventures. It was written by New Pop Lit Advisory Board member Chrissi Sepe, and this may be one of the few remaining copies. Apparently Chrissi wrote it in her twenties– it has the strengths and weaknesses of early work which from the perspective of now is mostly strengths, as it’s readable and exudes authentic reality, the vibe of an exciting city.

I’m on Chapter Three, in which young Iggy, the main character, is being pursued through town by an older woman with short blonde hair and in a fake fur leopard coat. What happens next? We’ll see!

-KW