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A review of Swoon

by Nada Gordon and Gary Sullivan

The true story of two poets finding love online

Reviewed by: Rachel C. Lee
About Rachel C. Lee

Swoon Increased electronic communication is a double-edged sword. While it enables people to connect with anyone from anyplace, it also can be quite isolating in its insistence upon absence. This mode of communication replaces vocal interaction with the written word. Despite our incredible technological advances, we still regress to the old forms of love letters and poetry to express desire and emotion.

"Swoon" takes place in the electronic spaces between two people, poets searching for meaning in the contexts of poetry, literature, life, and love. Located on opposite sides of the world, Nada and Gary explore each other through emails, poetry, letters, and eventually phone calls and face-to-face meetings. Unedited emails and poems make up the text of "Swoon," which allows the reader to indulge in a unique voyeurism; a gaze into the inner workings of people in love. Observing Nada and Gary respond to one another through emails and poetry is to watch two lovers deconstruct the fantasy of love in their search for authentic self-expression and articulations of emotion that seek to avoid becoming clichés.

While this book is just fascinating because it exposes the thoughts and emotions of two interesting and poetic people, it also gives credence to electronic communication as a viable forum for personal revelations, intimacy, and creativity. In the midst of spam and impersonal emails, it is refreshing to find people making meaningful connections.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Swoon

Copyright © by Rachel C. Lee, 2003

Reviewed by Rachel C. Lee :
-- One Hundred Years of Solitude - by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
-- Swoon - by Nada Gordon and Gary Sullivan









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