"IF YOU LABEL ME, YOU NEGATE ME"

is the quote from Soren Kierkegaard used as an epigraph -- to my grateful appreciation! -- in Joey Madia's new review of the relational elations of ORPHANED ALGEBRA. I'm grateful for the review, of course, but mostly moved by how Joey chose to do his review by taking off on the idea that the poet only begins the poem. And so in engaging with my and j/j hastain's book in this manner, Joey came up with some interesting takes, e.g. the excerpts here:

Through her deft and vivid prose-poems, Tabios tackles the underlying social ramifications of the seemingly innocent scenarios posed in the service of our children learning their math. Math that revolves around an antiquated Industrial model that has no place in the New Millenium, and yet still persists, for the American education system, as an extension of the Corporate–Military–Industrial complex, is more interested in producing Worker-Bees and Consumers than Citizens and Thinkers. No Child Left Behind (NCLB), which is one of the most oxymoronic, inaccurate, and reprehensible monikers ever put forth by any government anywhere (and which is, thankfully, beginning to go away), in its effort to clamp down on the critical thinking and arts-based curriculum beginning to take hold around the country prior to its “adoption,” put all the emphasis on the Standardized Test—the shortest way, in their Other-driven thinking—of making a Standardized American, who could then join the military or a corporation that would then created a Standardized World.

Thank you, Joey, for calling it a "rare book that ... forces us to see with a different set of eyes and subsequently change our Newly Provoked Thoughts to Actions, enlivening our heart and engaging our Humanity. " See entire review HERE.

***

I was preening over the fabulous reviews the book has received to date to the hubby because I like to preen at the hubby.  "Great," he replied.  "All you need now is the subway token...."

Heeeeee...I am appreciative, but, yes, there are limits to believing one's P.R. ...  But I insist: preen!