The Best 10 Minutes of Your Life

By Zoe Whittall
Published by McGilligan Books

Reviewed by Kris Rothstein

The Best 10 Minutes of Your Life Image The only book of poetry I enjoyed this year is Zoe Whittall’s The Best 10 Minutes of Your Life (McGilligan Books). Here Ally McBeal and Dr. Seuss live alongside Susan Musgrave and Rocket Richard in a mélange of popular culture and literary craving. In these accessible and astute poems, Whittall assembles a cast of female buddies and lovers, bitching about life while planning the perfect getaway. This is a coming-of-age through poetry, from Puff the Magic Dragon to topless teenage rebellion. Everything about the book is pleasing, from the eerie elegance of the cover to the inviting interior layout.