The Night We Were Dylan Thomas by Mara Bergman

Mara Bergman’s poetic voice is a subtle one, based on the rhythms of ordinary speech, and has an admirably natural or even casual feel that can be deceptive. In this, her second collection from Arc, Mara revisits her early life in New York City, remembering family and friends and incidents, both life-changing and inconsequential. There is a genuine search going on here, both poetic and personal; her work captures the vividness of the smallest detail and makes it resonate in the wider world.