Circadian

By: Chelsey Clammer

Narrated by: Brenda Scott Wlazlo

Circadian is a collection of lyric essays that reach beyond personal narrative and exist in the vast landscape of curiosity and intrigue. With an astute attentiveness to language and form, Chelsey Clammer poetically weaves personal stories into the narratives of different - yet connecting - fields of study. Through this, she explores experiences of trauma, mental illnesses, and the rhythmic and oscillating desires for solitude and connection. Using math to figure out the problem of an alcoholic father, weather to reconsider trauma, the history of sexism and the facts of its lingual effects, anatomy as a way to process memories, and even grammar to question our identities, these “facts” don't work as metaphors, but frameworks and forms that naturally circle around one another. Each essay in Circadian stands as a witness to the brilliant and destructive cycles that create our lives.

©2016 Red Hen Press (P)2018 Red Hen Press

Good Break from Self-Help

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This book wasn't quite what I expected, but it was a good change of pace for me. I am usually a listener of self-help books, or a reader of fiction. The performance by Brenda was great. I think I need to go back and give this a relisten now that I know what to expect.

A gift to lovers of good writing.

What did you love best about Circadian?

It is multi-dimensional in its scope, it weaves in and out of different ideas and subjects.It is a hallmark of a great writer that can break the mold of the traditions of not only writing essays but writing itself.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Circadian?

The range of ideas and stories and how they are intermingled by the Author.

Which character – as performed by Brenda Scott Wlazlo – was your favorite?

N/A

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes although a book as ambitious as this requires the reader to take time to absorb the various issues being raised by the writer.

Any additional comments?

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

I Didn’t Get It

This was just one of those books that I didn’t get. Admittedly it’s probably my fault but this book was like hanging on to a kite in a hurricane; it was all over the place beyond what I would normally consider stream of consciousness. Besides, the topics just struck me as odd. I understand this is a collection of essays but even essays have engaging topics and text that flows. These just didn’t.

The bright spot was Brenda Scott Wlazlo’s narration. She navigated brilliantly through the verbal turmoil of “Circadian”. Thanks, Brenda.