Reviews: I Tell Henrietta
Tina Barry takes a deep dive and surfaces with treasure to share,
Anne Pyburn Craig, BlueStone Press, August 2024
Review of Tina Barry's I Tell Henrietta, by Britta Stormeyer
Bending Genres, 10/24
https://bendinggenres.com/review-of-tina-barrys-i-tell-henrietta-by-britta-stromeyer/
"I Tell Henrietta feels like a personal diary that Barry has graciously chosen to share, revealing her deepest vulnerabilities. It’s a collection that crosses the boundaries of memoir and fiction with sprinklings of magical realism told to an imaginary character named Henrietta. Barry invites readers to witness a life unfold through these stirring vignettes, poems, and micro-stories, each one a carefully crafted window into the human experience of loss, love, and growth.
This genre-defying work will undoubtedly strike a chord with those who appreciate intimate, emotionally charged narratives and the interplay between visual art and the written word. Tina Barry and Kristin Flynn have created something to be savored: a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit, reminding us of the transformative power of art in helping us navigate life’s most challenging moments."
Berryman’s Henry, Barry’s Henrietta: A Review of I Tell Henrietta,
By TINA BARRY & ART BY KRISTIN FLYNN
Two things to note about this book: it’s profoundly human and profoundly skillful. The poems are complemented by the fine illustrations of the artist Kristin Flynn. The beauty Barry renders in lines and rhythms, Flynn evokes in images and tones. I Tell Henrietta is about family, friends and acquaintances, and ultimately, the reader.
Barry’s Henrietta is the female counterpart to John Berryman’s Henry of The Dream Songs, though Henrietta is quieter, less visible, more subtle. As she appears in the title, she abides in this book.
Poets And Poems: Tina Barry And "I Tell Henrietta"
By Glynn Young, Tweet Speak, September, 2024
"I Tell Henrietta by Tina Barry may win my "most creative idea for a poetry
collection award for the year....Barry's poems and Flynn's artwork can be un-settling and often jarring. But the images are vivid, and the words are as sharp and clear as a cut gemstone."