Book Review: Pulp Prophet

Author: McCaela Prentice

Publisher: Musing Publications

Page Count: 92 pages

Release Date: May 26th, 2023

*Please let it be noted that I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Never judge a book by its cover.

I’ve heard this phrase all of my life. I’ve even been the one to say it a few times. But to be honest? Sometimes, the way a book cover looks is the deciding factor on whether or not I add to my already massive collection.

So it says a lot when earlier this month, after opening up some book mail, all I could think about was taking a picture of Pulp Prophet and sharing it across social media. There’s so much to look at: the starry night sky, the pomegranate, the snake with its captivating gold eyes, and even the font style of the title just looks…magical.

Pulp Prophet is the latest poetry collection by McCaela Prentice from Musing Publications, and this collection is perhaps what I consider to be the love child of poets, young adults who grew up fascinated by Greek mythology, and astrology and tarot card enthusiasts. All of which happen to be some of my favorite things.

Even though Greek mythology has a major influence over the poetry Prentice has written for this collection, it doesn’t feel overwhelming. Each piece embraces the myth that inspired it in a variety of ways.

One of my favorite poems from this collection is “ARACHNE AND THE LILAC TANGENT” on page 78, and it’s a great example of not letting the myth overtake the poem. It’s only four stanzas long, and while the contents make it apparent that it’s inspired by Arachne’s story, Prentice was able to weave together a beautiful moment that’s full of delicacy as the narrator gathers up her inner strength with the final lines, “I would be a better weaver if I believed / in precision- if I believed myself to be / a master of my body. / I grip the lantern my whole walk home. / I think of threading the needle.” This shows readers that the narrator, while appearing to be nervous and maybe a little bit fearful of what’s to come, is taking that first step towards changing her fate, something that Arachne herself wasn’t able to do.

I’ve marked up this section – and a majority of these pages – with annotations, underlining various lines that sparked a thought, sometimes even needing to remark on the striking imagery a piece has, a strength that Prentice wields with no hesitation. One such moment was with “HYALITE” (pg 45) and the detailed rich lines, “I have found myself / wishing my eyes serpentine / green like the bottom / of an algae conquered pool / between sun ripples-” along with the final, and rather bittersweet lines, “I will collect / the years like rings of trees – / know them by the cracks / weeping down my masonry.”

What I found interesting, and outright fascinating, was that Prentice was using Greek mythology, crystals, and astrology as a lens to look into modern-day life and explore the struggles and complexities that occur with not just romantic relationships, but the relationship we have with ourselves.

On page 47 there is such depth to “MOMENT’S SILENCE,” where even though the poem is about fall coming earlier than expected and appears to focus on Persephone having to leave her mother, Demeter, there’s more to it. From my interpretation, this explores the act of mourning the old version of yourself because you had to leave it behind a lot sooner than you anticipated, but you continue to move forward to search for this new version of yourself, even if it’s scary and causes anxiety.

Then on page 62 with “NEPTUNE IN CAPRICORN,” a short and sweet poem, we get to see what reads as that feeling of magical delight and the things you’d do for a person when you love them.

These are moments that in the modern day we experience all the time, and yet by looking at them through mythology, it reveals that these thoughts and emotions have possibly been around for decades, if not centuries. That humans have always been complex, and turned to creating stories and poetry in an attempt to understand why we do the things we do, and why we feel so strongly about those who we love.

From exploring the complexity of human emotions, to unearthing the multitude of layers that exist in the relationships we have, McCaela Prentice has crafted a rich and magical poetry collection full of striking imagery that will make you want to break out the tarot deck and consult the stars about fate after you read Pulp Prophet over, and over, again.