Too Much World, Not Enough Chocolate
by Peggy Landsman
Publication Date: 15 October 2024
Nightingale & Sparrow Press
Genre: Poetry
Too Much World, Not Enough Chocolate begins (in the aptly named, Part One) with the poet vividly recalling her experiences in the second half of the twentieth century, including growing up with Holocaust survivors, living like a hermit in the woods, protesting the Vietnam War, living and working abroad in Israel, Yugoslavia, Japan, and China; and always responding to sexism, which she understands to be ubiquitous. The last lines of the opening poem sum up the complexity of her feelings: “At the beginning of the twenty-first century/the thing that still amazes me/is how easily I startle.”
In Part Two, the poet explores the joys and sorrows of personal relationships between friends, family members, and lovers, as well as the deep and magical connection she experiences to her own imagination and art. All the poems in Part Two contain images of particular foods, and through the alchemy of poetry, by the time we get to the last lines of the last poem in the collection, we see the everyday event of eating a bagel transformed into an epiphany: “… the hole in the bagel’s enough/love finds its way/through Openness.”
Most of the 62 poems in this collection are written in free verse, but a couple of ghazals and a pantoum do put in an appearance.
Excerpts
Advance Reviews
It’s the music, the intelligence, and all the good food in these poems; the looking back, and within, the looking twice, and three times, the looking around with wonder; the feminism, the Jewishness; the playfulness; the nods to Allen Ginsberg, Vincent Van Gogh, and other writers, artists, thinkers; and finally, the accessibility and honesty of the voice in these wistful, colloquial, entertaining poems that make Peggy Landsman’s Too Much World, Not Enough Chocolate a first full-length collection to not only write home about but to bring home—in your hands—and serve up its deliciousness to your poetry-starved loved ones. — Paul Hostovsky, author of Mostly and Pitching for the Apostates
Too Much World, Not Enough Chocolate is a compelling collection of poems that delves into the intricate facets of human existence against the tumultuous backdrop of global turmoil, effectively conveying a profound sense of hope and resilience. Peggy Landsman discovers solace within the realm of literature, utilizing it as a guiding compass to navigate the world’s complexities. The poems serve as a powerful catalyst, urging introspection and encouraging readers to question the narratives presented to us, ultimately fostering a quest for a more profound comprehension of our roles in shaping history. — Michal Mahgerefteh, Poetica Magazine, Editor
Peggy Landsman’s poems are salty-sweet, with a depth of flavor you can really sink into. Too Much World, Not Enough Chocolate is magically delicious! The poet engages you in her own very personal ball game: “I’m ready at last to reclaim my world,/this ball that I throw back to you.” And, as you read, if you follow her advice to “ring your belly button/see if you’re home,” you may find yourself in a different world, strange yet familiar, weird and welcoming at the same time. — Jessy Randall, author of Mathematics for Ladies: Poems on Women in Science
About the Author
Peggy Landsman is the author of two poetry chapbooks, Our Words, Our Worlds (Kelsay Books, 2021) and To-wit To-woo (Foothills Publishing, 2008). Too Much World, Not Enough Chocolate is her first full-length collection. She lives in South Florida where she swims in the warm Atlantic Ocean every chance she gets.
