As much as I’ll miss breezy summer days, the imminent change of seasons brings new activities and novelties to look forward to: pumpkin flavored everything, bonfires with friends, an excuse to stay inside curled up with a glass of wine and a new show on Netflix. This fall, in addition to usual autumnal activities, we have something else to mark our calendars for: Rupi Kaur, the New York Times bestselling author will publish her second collection of poetry, the sun and her flowers, on October 3rd.
I noticed Kaur’s first book, milk and honey, while perusing a local bookstore with a few friends one night. It’s simplistic, black-and-white cover stood out amongst its colorful contemporaries, and I immediately plucked it off the shelf. While turning its pages, the illustrations and poetry with no capitalization caught my interest, and I immediately fell in love with Kaur’s honest and provocative writing.
Kaur is frequently heralded as a feminist icon, partially due to frank depictions of overcoming both physical and emotional abuse in her work. She is unafraid to discuss topics that many artists shy away from, as seen in several themes in her previous book and a photo shoot she conceptualized that seeks to end the way society stigmatizes menstruation.
The themes in Kaur’s first work revolve around femininity, love, loss, and hope. She eloquently expresses the depth of her experiences and feelings in a way that makes her immediately relatable. One of my favorite poems in milk and honey explores the effort it requires to choose happiness:
“i have
what i have
and i am happy
i’ve lost
what i’ve lost
and i am
still
happy”
–milk and honey, page 180
According to Amazon, the sun and her flowers will continue Kaur’s exploration of life and love. Kaur includes a poem in the description of her upcoming book:
this is the recipe of life
said my mother
as she held me in her arms as i wept
think of those flowers you plant
in the garden each year
they will teach you
that people too
must wilt
fall
root
rise
in order to bloom
Regardless of the exact themes, Kaur’s next collection of poetry and illustrations explores, here’s to hoping that the sun and her flowers is just as heartfelt, poignant, and powerful as milk and honey.
