Scientific Marvel - by Chimwemwe Undi (Paperback)

About the Book

"Firmly grounded in the local, the arresting poems in Chimwemwe Undi's debut collection, Scientific Marvel, are preoccupied with Winnipeg in the way a Winnipegger is preoccupied with Winnipeg, the way a poet might be preoccupied with herself: through history and immigration; race and gender; anxieties and observation. Marked by rhythmic drive, humour and surprise, Undi's poems consider what is left out from the history and ongoing realities of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the west. Taking its title from a beauty school in downtown Winnipeg that closed in 2017 after nearly 100 years of operation, Scientific Marvel approaches the prairies from the point of view of a person who is often erased from the prairies' idea of itself. "I mean my country the way / my country means my country / and what else is there to say? / I am bad and brown / and trying. Nothing here / belongs to me or could / or ever will." This is poetry that touches on challenging topics--from queerness and colonialism to racism, climate rage, and decolonization, while never straying far from specific lived experience, the so-called 'smaller' questions: about self, art, dance parties and pop culture, relationships and love."--

Book Synopsis

Winner, 2024 Governor General's Literary Award for Poetry
Winner, League of Canadian Poets Raymond Souster Award
Finalist, League of Canadian Poets Gerald Lampert Memorial Award
CBC Best Book of 2024

Marked by rhythmic drive, humour, and surprise, Undi's poems consider what is left out from the history and ongoing realities of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Firmly grounded in the local, the arresting poems in Chimwemwe Undi's debut collection, Scientific Marvel, are preoccupied with Winnipeg in the way a Winnipegger is preoccupied with Winnipeg, the way a poet might be preoccupied with herself: through history and immigration; race and gender; anxieties and observation. Marked by rhythmic drive, humour and surprise, Undi's poems consider what is left out from the history and ongoing realities of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the west. Taking its title from a beauty school in downtown Winnipeg that closed in 2017 after nearly 100 years of operation, Scientific Marvel approaches the prairies from the point of view of a person who is often erased from the prairies' idea of itself. "I mean my country the way / my country means my country / and what else is there to say? / I am bad and brown / and trying. Nothing here / belongs to me or could / or ever will."

This is poetry that touches on challenging topics--from queerness and colonialism to racism, climate rage, and decolonization, while never straying far from specific lived experience, the so-called 'smaller' questions: about self, art, dance parties and pop culture, relationships and love.

Review Quotes

"Undi's is undeniably a poetry of place and is augmented through a deep understanding of context." -- Border Crossings Magazine

"Expansive in form and subject, precise in language and image, Scientific Marvel ... hums cover to cover." -- EVENT

"What is remarkable about Scientific Marvel is the way Undi seamlessly creates threads between Winnipeg landmarks and girlhood, legal cases and love, grammar, and ancestry ... Her poetic voice remains distinct, strong, and memorable." -- Room Magazine

"Politically astute, rigorously loving, lyrically deft debut collection." -- Herizons

"Incisive and precise, tender and loving, these poems escort readers through questions of race and place, disappeared histories, immigration, gender and climate angst ... A captivating debut, Scientific Marvel transforms through tough lessons and uplifts through lively language play -- and, of course, love." -- Toronto Star

"Scientific Marvel is intelligent and incisive ... perceptive and vulnerable." -- The Miramichi Reader