Reviews
DIRT - Poetry Pamphlet (Andel31, 2015)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Tim Wells, poet and founder of Rising poetry magazine
"Aino´s poetry is insightful, askew with a healthy serving of sass."
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TIM WELLS, POET AND FOUNDER OF RISING POETRY MAGAZINE