{"product_id":"belly-dancing-in-a-brown-elaine-sorrentino-9781639806898","title":"Belly Dancing in a Brown Sweatsuit","description":"\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003eBelly Dancing in a Brown Sweatsuit\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e by Elaine Sorrentino offers readers a first collection of poems full of candid self-observation, tenderness for a world almost lost, and good humor. In poems like her hilarious post-Covid elegy, \"A Moment of Silence for the Salad Bar\", or through the closing line of her title poem, in which the speaker announces \"I didn't come to watch,\" Sorrentino invites readers to participate in love in its many forms and walk life's path with joy, even when it is deeply shadowed. A 2X cancer survivor, she reminds us to celebrate what we're given.\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eMiriam O'Neal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, Plymouth, MA Poet Laureate\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003eBelly Dancing in a Brown Sweatsuit\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e is a fascinating portrait of life in the U.S. post-World War II: childhood traumas; the exigencies of family life, including birth, divorce, mothering, elder care and death; health issues including COVID and-especially-breast cancer; and even rape. For each of these, there are, as the first poem says, \"befores and afters\" because they alter the life of the narrator. These poems are livened and deepened by the presence of details, also characteristic of the era in which the poems take place: Scrabble and Candy Land, Land O' Lakes butter and Ruffles potato chips, the Boston Red Sox, and a Singer sewing machine, to name a few. There is also the iconic road trip (but with a difference). And of course, that brown sweatsuit. While we are relishing personal and family stories, Sorrentino occasionally surprises us with a poem on a contemporary social issue-which probably should not be a surprise, since we learn early that her family origin story includes the Great Acadian Deportation. There is also an abundance of humor, which even shows up in some of Sorrentino's haiku. Readers of a certain age will revel in the memories the book elicits, while young readers may gain a better understanding of the author's generation. Mine this collection for the gold coins that await you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eWilda Morris\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003ePequod Poems: Gamming with Moby-Dick\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003eAt Goat Island and Other Poems\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Elaine Sorrentino\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 163980689X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781639806898\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Kelsay Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/25\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 70\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.23lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.17d","brand":"Elaine Sorrentino","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48436891386111,"sku":"9781639806898","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_a97f060f-e095-4b99-846a-744639571563.jpg?v=1777158472","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/belly-dancing-in-a-brown-elaine-sorrentino-9781639806898","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}