In Little Blue Primer, Valerie Little presents an imaginary course in the lingering hope of resolution with an ex-partner, complete with a syllabus she uses to instruct herself and the reader through her past heartbreaks. The title of this course is MUSIC 7681, and in the opening section, she tells herself to “resign comfortably to love him, regardless of self-respect or reason, for the remainder of my natural life.” Her attachment to this former partner is a common theme that overarches most of the poems in the chapbook.
Interwoven into the broken love story are her memories of a happy youth in rural Central PA and the recent death of her father. The tension between these subjects is a theme that mirrors Little’s conflicting emotions toward her fallen romantic relationship. In “York County History Lesson,” she recounts a childhood memory of staring at her father in the rearview mirror as they moved out of town. Then she fast-forwards twenty-five years to the day of her father’s burial. “We are dust and to dust we shall return,” she quotes.
The syllabus-style structure that intersects each few poems is written in prose and instructs the reader how to interpret the upcoming poems. The title Little Blue Primer is derived from this idea, that although poetry is often elusive and open to interpretation, this book offers clarity and resolution. The syllabus acts as a primer for the poetry, setting the scene for each poem’s meaning.
Little supplements this clarity for the reader with an honesty that reveals the most intimate details of her relationship. In the introduction to this book, she vows to “remain open” and “gracefully walk on shards of the sharpest grief.” The poetry in this book is loyal to that statement. Little puts herself in vulnerable situations as she divulges her love and simultaneous animosity for a man who enters her life, then deserts her, cyclically reentering and leaving throughout the story. Holding true to her promise of remaining open, Little leaves no detail of her relationship untouched—from the heartbreak she feels when the man she loves moves on with someone new to the intimate moments they shared when they were together (often accompanied by the associated blunt language).
Another subject brought up in the book is Little’s interest in music. In her syllabus, she often mentions songs from her personal playlist that help her through the moments she’s experiencing. As a full-time violist in the Minnesota Orchestra, Little brings a unique level of musical expertise to her poetry. “No crescendo overtakes the din of separation. // Play on, orchestra. // Brutalize us, dissonant brass fortissimo // screams through fistfuls of piano clusters // and belligerent snares,” she writes in “Amsterdam Avenue.” Little brilliantly brings the musical aspect of her life alive in her writing as she deals with difficult events, and the music aids in her processing of the events.
Little Blue Primer is a story of healing and holding on. Though she was hurt by her lost love, Little lets her memories run onto the page, hoping to move on as she clings to the idea of her former love’s renewal. Often confessional, these poems are written from a place of honesty and openness.
Little Blue Primer
Toho Publishing
Published August 26, 2021
24 Pages
Chris Faunce studies Civil Engineering at Drexel University. He is from East Norriton, PA and enjoys poetry.