Glossogenesis, Cynthia White

“From the Greek glossa: something barbed, like an arrow or a thorn, like language and the noxious leaves of houndstongue”

Glossogenesis is as beautiful as the phonology of the word itself. Cynthia White’s work is wistful, raw, and reminiscent of a diary. Here, she explores intimate moments and experiences of womanhood and memories of girlhood, written passionately and humorously through the lens of an avid observer of the natural world, a companion, a caregiver, a mother, and a daughter. White reminds us of the power of language—one of our oldest systems—while reflecting on her most impactful relationships. In a handful of poems, White gives the origin of a word that is central to the message of the poem. She digs deep past the current meaning of the word to better understand root feelings for a person dear to the heart, a difficult moment, and even a colorful, like witnessing a sky rich with the sunset. The tender care put into each of the poems in Glossosgenesis will leave readers immersed in rich and moving recollections of core memories.

“The poems in Glossogenesis function as both archaeology and alchemy, unearthing hidden histories from language and transforming the familiar into treasure. With remarkable precision, White excavates etymology as a form of divination, revealing an intelligence that is both cerebral and deeply felt. White doesn’t shrink from anything her explorations uncover and nor does she abandon wonder, that ‘organ like the liver, / that when damaged can repair itself.’ Glossogenesis marries linguistic curiosity with emotional and poetic precision; it is a breathtaking collection which declares that to truly know a word is to know ourselves.”
-Amanda Moore, author of Requeening

“In Glossogenesis, Cynthia White works lexical magic. From the very first poem, ‘Pareidolia’ in which the narrator finds human faces in cups, cars, and grilled cheese sandwiches, she demonstrates not only her dexterity with language and craft but also her fascination with the birth of language. We are reminded that words such as ‘face,’ ‘wonder,’ ‘tongue’ grew from a multitude of sources, shape-shifting over centuries to hold the common meanings we know today. These explorations are not an end in themselves, but serve to deepen the poems, creating nuanced layers that take the reader on a sometimes surprising, always delightful journey. As White so beautifully demonstrates in this debut collection, ‘we are seekers of meaning.’”
-Nancy Miller Gomez, author of Inconsolable Objects, current Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County

“Glossogenesis is a book of spells. It is a field guide for anyone who has ever heard a word that lingers in your ears and then had its meaning shape shift as you go about your day, your life. These are, at one level, poems of lurking sadness in the everyday, the way a cup becomes ‘a face / opening its mouth so wide / I sense distress.’ White’s impulse is also to cast a slant but smart eye on words. Her joy in unpacking meaning is a fun ride for word nerds, but it also surprises by taking the reader on a multi-layered journey of discovery. We are in sure hands when a poem titled ‘Listen’ teaches us that all of motherhood is a listening: ‘the beck, the call.’ Read this collection ‘when love itself / won’t cut it.’ Go with the poet to language and ‘taste the iron and salt in the origin of words.’ Then read it again and again; let the objects and the poet’s eye reveal more than you knew was there.”
-Farnaz Fatemi, author of Sister Tongue, former Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County