In The Story of No Emma Hammond delivers an experimental lyric that is wild, weird and full of the errata of modern life.
Her poems reappropriate the language of brands, pornography and instant messaging, and argue for Carry On films and Wotsits as the true subjects of poetry. The shifts of register and voice alone range from the breathtaking to the disconcerting in this stunning and complex second collection.
Praise for Emma Hammond
There is something about the imaginative control exercised by Hammond, coupled with metaphorical daring, that makes you read on. The poetry is wild and unsettling but also cool and convincingly modern. This is the poetry of lived experience, but also of lived writing. Though seemingly utterly spontaneous it is also very self-aware. As if it is the most natural thing in the world, she manages to capture the life of the mind, even as it captures the movements of the world. Surprise is the engine of a good poem and Emma Hammond never fails to provide this element. She is the real thing.
Hugo Williams