Book 9 for 2026: Louder: We Can't Hear You (Yet!)

Louder: We Can't Hear You (Yet!): The Political Poems of Marge Piercy, by Marge Piercy.

My attention span doesn't usually do well with audio books. Poetry turns out to be an exception, which is good, because that's the only format in which this book is available. The author's reading isn't loud, particularly, but she gives the poems the urgency their subjects require.

The poems will mostly be familiar to Piercy fans. They address feminism, war, poverty, abortion, and political activism. Some get a very brief introduction by the author. Trigger warnings for images of rape, violence, terrorism, bigotry, and pet death.

Piercy's poems are effective because they are clear and direct, yet they manage to find fresh and unexpected images. For instance, "The market economy:"

Suppose some peddler offered
you can have a color TV
but your baby will be born with a crooked spine;
you can have polyvinyl cups and wash and wear suits
but it will cost you your left lung rotted with cancer;

Or "The grey flannel sexual harassment suit," which she notes is just barely satire:

The woman in the sexual harassment
suit is visited by female
angels only, has a platinum
hymen protected by Brinks,
is white of course as unpainted
plaster, naturally blonde
and speaks only English.

...

If you are other than we have
described above, please do
not bother to complain.
You are not a lady.
We cannot help you
A woman like you simply
cannot be harassed.

Piercy ends with a message of hope, "The low road:"

It goes on one at a time,
it starts when you care
to act, it starts when you do
it again and they said no,
it starts when you say We
and know who you mean,
and each day you mean one more.

Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book in a different format than your usual.
52 Book Club Challenge: From the 800 section of the Dewey Decimal system.
​Booklist Queen Challenge: An audiobook read by the author.

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