Full disclosure. I met professor and poet C.J. Giroux before either of us started as students our freshman year at our different universities. He and I became friends while working a college job. We rarely discussed writing, English, or the arts. Even in the years since, our friendship has been based on more of our life experiences than our professions. When Giroux announced he had published a book of poems, though, it was a no-brainer that I was going to read it. But since he’s a friend, this blog post will not be a review of his work.
Sheltered in Place made me reflect a lot on the legacies we leave behind, especially living through a world-altering event like the pandemic. On the surface, the poems inside are about aging, changing perspectives, and the sickness that infected the world in 2020. However, if you take the time to go deeper, you’ll find Sheltered in Place is more about how the world slowed down…and how it didn’t. The style varies but also repeats throughout the book, allowing the reader to look at the next entry with fresh eyes but also feel the rhythm so important to poetry. I made a decision to read each poem slowly and thoughtfully. I also took my time and read it over a period of weeks. I suggest the reader do the same.
If you want something more reflective, more thought-provoking, and more insightful, then give this book a read. Sheltered in Place gives a new perspective on the event that made the world hold its breath. The book makes the experience all the more relatable.