Reviews
DIRT - Poetry Pamphlet (Andel31, 2015)
Aino Huusko is a dirty girl. She knows that dirt is everywhere, clean it up and it’ll start creeping back immediately. There’s a white page we can dirty with words, or a dirty window we clean by writing on. It’s how you want to see it.
This collection has punchy, urban poems that are run through with a comforting sadness but have humour and lightness to them. There are prams, drinking, and anxiety; much of which makes up Aino’s life in London.
The poems are well juxtaposed with photography by Linda Barck. The images are clear, and have the same quirk that the poetry does. Poetry/art combinations are often forced, muddy and dull. These spark off each other.
Although she’s a Finn the poems are written in English, part of the charm of Aino’s writing for me has been the slightly off-kilter way she uses the language at times, one that opens it up. For the real Finnish effect you can add in loads of extra vowels yourself.
Tim Wells, poet and founder of Rising poetry magazine
"Aino´s poetry is insightful, askew with a healthy serving of sass."
TIM WELLS, POET AND FOUNDER OF RISING POETRY MAGAZINE