In her latest collection, How About Now, Kate Baer confronts the tension she faces as she grapples with middle age. While the poems in this collection are deeply personal and often showcase raw vulnerability, they mirror what many women face during this stage of life (including me). Baer captures the reality of navigating relationships with family, friends, and oneself highlighting the need to step back and see the bigger picture when times are tense, while basking in the comfort of and taking joy in those relationships in times of need or peace. She also stresses the importance of appreciating each moment, and in “Meanwhile” calls on us (in a snarky way) to put down our phones. (I felt attacked.)
Ultimately, How About Now reads like a reflection (or maybe a memoir in poems) on the process of living. We are a product of our pasts, but that does not need to define us. We can let go of the distractions, focus on loving ourselves, our environment, and the people around us. The collection begins by stating, “The problem is the new life costs you the old one” and the rest of the collection shows that change, growth, and love are worth it. As Baer states in the acknowledgements, “Finally, to anyone holding this collection in your hands, wondering if there’s enough time for you: I wrote this with you in mind. You’re still here. It’s not too late. How about now?”
This is the energy I’m bringing with me into the new year.