Blood Lines

Blood Lines, despite the overarching and painful subject matter (the poet's terminal diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia), is a beautiful book. A poetry collection wrapped in bright photography and captioned with journal notes, Juliet Robertson has created something complete and powerful-a document, a testament, a whole world contained inside its pages. The poems are accessible and playful (the traffic signs of 'C Road Journey'); specific and harrowing ('The walk of a sentenced woman'); yet universal and soulful ('To pull clouds over the moon'). She allows the reader to experience devastating empathy without ever losing her way into cliches of self-pity. Everyone's experience of cancer is different, of course, but as a former leukaemia patient myself, the black comedy of Robertson's laughing hyenas and medical vampires, the threat of relapse and the very real sensation of 'Scanxiety' resonate hard and true to my illness too. Juliet's writing is steeped in love, driven by a pursuit of understanding, and offers catharsis and acceptance. This collection is exactly what it needs to be: heartfelt, fragile and honest.Jamie Woods I think Juliet's book of poetry, musings, advice and intense thinking is inspirational to the right reader who wants a companion, comfort and also a dose of reality on the most difficult journey of all. Juliet is quite incredible.The varied styles of the poetry give a personalised and informal feel and are such a wonderful way to give an authentic voice to the writing. It's almost unbearably real. I get the impression that writing it has helped Juliet, and it may well help others too. The images are sharp, they fall across the reader's mind in a multitude of emotions and seem exactly what they are: feelings expressed in a high-level, articulate way that follow no pattern but Juliet's own. She writes as the day demands in her mind with charts, thought bubbles, data and a context for each poem. The section divisions really help the sense of a journey. It's fast, it's painful but it's beautiful in places too.Some people in their final days, or going through long treatment, will certainly benefit from reading something so honest but also very well written with hugely effective word use and image making.Thanks for the privilege of reading this.Bob Cox I applaud and admire anyone who faces up to a terminal illness. To write honestly and even lyrically about it is quite remarkable. Juliet Robertson has done just that.In Blood Lines we meet Juliet exploring, chronologically, her myriad experiences of cancer and its treatments. But we also meet ourselves. Her poetry encourages us to put ourselves in her position. Her belief that 'everything will be alright' is perhaps a surprising-even challenging-conclusion.Juliet's poetry highlights the interdependent and collaborative aspects of her journey. She is being continually supported by her husband Mark, her family, her friends and innumerable healthcare individuals. This is not a poet seeking pity, but elucidating how loving relationships provide her with healing, hope and light, particularly when they are in short supply.This is a poetry book, but it is so much more! It has a colourful Amish-esque quilt of care; a humorous map, with umpteen road signs, of Juliet's journey; a surreal game of snakes and ladders and even a DIY Death Notice! Juliet Robertson has gifted us a vibrant and heartfelt insight into how she is enjoying and enduring her confrontation with the 'omnipotence of cancer'. And she ain't done yetDavid S Hutchinson