Dance of Necromance: Poetry Book of the Dead
Sumiko Saulson
Mocha Memoirs Press, 2026
ISBN-10: 1962353338
ISBN-13: 978-1962353335
Ebook, 72 ppg.
For the people whose lives were cut short and wrongs have been done, writers take the time to honor them with words. Poets, too, use their craft to shed light on those we have lost as well as those whose cause must be kept alive. In the poetry collection Dance of Necromance: Poetry Book of the Dead by Sumiko Saulson, you will find poems that recognize them, remember them, and bring them to life within its pages. As ghosts, it is only fitting that they are included here in this book, a collection of poems about ghosts, haunted locations, and memories of lives lived.
There are poems in this book about those no longer among the living, such as a cat who once belonged to the author and a dancing Chihuahua named Coco (Cha-Cha). There is a poem about the late author Anne Rice as well, which I enjoyed reading.
But more importantly, there are poems that remember those in the LGBTQ community who are also no longer among the living, such as Matthew Shepard and Sylvia Rivera. Some are named and others are not in these poems; they are all remembered collectively. You will find them in various poems, either by mention or in entire poems dedicated to their memory, such as with the poem “Never Forget We Bled.”
“The Haunted Streets of San Francisco” is another poem I really enjoyed reading. It opens with this very intriguing stanza:
“When tourists come to visit San Francisco
Some of them find it a spirited place
More ghosts are found here than dancers at a disco
They add to our mystique and Victorian grace” (Page 25)
The poem “Death of the Artist” on page 68 is profound. I love this poem. It reminds readers to never forget those feminist, queer, and Black voices from the past who spoke out against racism, homophobia, and oppression. I like these lines especially:
“Dark poetry is a broader field
Than bigoted old dead white men
And includes feminist voices such as
Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickinson
Phillis Wheatley cries out from the grave
A voice of resistance among the enslaved
Speaking for a vast graveyard of the unknown
Over a dusty tome of pauper's bones
Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes
And folks who used to sing the blues
Ancestors whose oral storytelling taught
The finer points of suspense and plot
Audre Lorde and James Baldwin,
Queer poets of the revolution,
Spoke out against racism, homophobia
And other wicked institutions”
“Ghostly Muse” is another good poem, and one which touched on something I have often wondered about. Have there been ghosts reading right along with us? Have ghosts influenced writers and artists? And what history a ghost would carry with it! There’s so much that can be learned there and investigated. Unfortunately for us, however, we can only wonder and speculate over such things.
Dance of Necromance is a collection of poetry that will delight and entertain readers who enjoy reading horror and paranormal poetry. Combined with poems that explore the current political turmoil as well as stories of experiences in relation to current events, these poems are a voice for the voiceless as well as the endangered and oppressed. With poems honoring those no longer with us as well as poems pleading to never forget the crimes committed against marginalized people, this collection of verse stands out as one which will touch readers, incite calls for action, and create a sense of appreciation for those voices that can only exist in memory.
Five stars
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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