Book Review: The Left Side of My Life (Dana Robbins)Reviewed by Erin M. KellyStories are the foundation and proof of human existence. Poetry can often be the paintbrush that brings them to life. When the two are fused together, it creates a rare kind of magic. In "The Left Side of My Life", Dana Robbins is an absolute master of that magic—balancing the delicate, vibrant worlds of poetry and storytelling to bring her story of determination and disability to an exquisite level. The book starts off with an introduction, in which Robbins vividly describes her childhood—listening to her Russian born grandparents tell stories when her family gathered for dinner—before tragedy struck. She writes: I was enthralled with the foreignness expressed in my grandparents' every gesture. As I learned to talk, I imitated their thick Russian accents and speech patterns. This sense of otherness opened my awareness to a different world I loved to imagine." As she alludes to throughout the rest of the introduction, that "sense" of diversity and togetherness with her family served Robbins well as she began to craft each poem in this book. There's a clear fluidity and flow to these poems—the same way a well-written piece of nonfiction reads. Every poem picks up where the last leaves off—starting with the first one, aptly titled, "The Left Side of My Life" to the last one, "In the Redwood Forest". Moreover, every poem has a presence and a sense of urgency that can stand on its own—which makes for a lively, immersive experience for the reader. These themes of diversity and cohesiveness play off of one another in a way that makes the reader feel as if they're in the emergency room or operating room with the author. It offers a very real, immediate feeling of what it is for the human soul to struggle—and be completely alive at the same time. The use of language and word choice also lends itself to a sense of existence that feels universal—that lets the reader know that the experience of struggle and pain is a very human one, as evident in these few lines from "On Being a Person", one of the opening poems in the book: Here is the sunny chair where she prayed in the morning From there, Robbins allows the rest of these poems to be her voice. She was sexually abused at an early age and suffered a stroke at age twenty-six. The stroke left her completely paralyzed on the left side of her body, in the midst of the coma she references throughout the book. The overwhelming trauma left Robbins silenced, and poetry was all she had. These poems are a direct reflection of that pain, but at the same time, they offer the reader a full picture of her now changed life as a disabled woman. Each poem gives a deeper glimpse into what she's lost, what she's left with and how she adapts. Thus, giving a deeper understanding of why the book is called The Left Side of My Life, as evident in these opening lines from "Gratitude": "My left leg cramped after seven hours in the airplane seat, I walk bedraggled and haltingly, in the hallelujah moment of safe arrival…" Then, in the same poem, she poses a valid question: "How would the people who offer help in the airport know that to me the apparatus of disability has the appeal of the electric chair?" In many ways, Robbins is telling her story through the gift of poetry—so it may serve as a creative platform for others to tell their own story. If anything, it might allow them to find the strength to move forward in their lives, regardless of what they're going through. It's almost as if Robbins wants the reader to find or rediscover a piece of themselves in the process of discovering the meaning behind these poems—and she gives them every possible tool to do so. As someone with a disability myself, I find this entire book incredibly empowering. It takes me on a journey to the other side of a world I've known my entire life: the world of questions and doubt, not brought on by my own thoughts or actions, but by those of others. I've never known what it's like to be able-bodied before my diagnosis of cerebral palsy. In fact, it's quite the opposite. So it's refreshing, almost reviving, to read about someone else's struggles and know that there is something good and positive on the other side of pain. That's what this book is about at its core. Robbins conveys a powerful message of strength and fortitude, just by telling her story in her own unique way. That message crosses over into how humanity treats its own kind, and how people choose to react to those who sound and look different. Therefore, it's a message that cannot be ignored. All these themes and ideas may have started as one simple thread as Robbins was writing. When it was weaved together, however, it built a net to catch every single feeling and thought that went into this body of work. The reader is left with an absolute jewel as a result—something that should be treasured and kept close to the heart. As the reader gets closer to the end of the book, the reality of Dana Robbins' story becomes crystal clear. Life is not meant to be a tangle of tightly-wound rope that holds the soul down. It's meant to be a a maze of doors that lead to adventures that test human resolve.
Title: The Left Side of My Life |