The Playing House

Playing House, the debut collection of poetry from Katherine Stansfield, features a concise wit, a distinct voice, and an unsettling view of the domestic with ordinary subjects viewed through the author’s satirical yet sympathetic eye. John Lennon’s tooth, an imaginary Canada, bees in Rhode Island, jetlag, and office politics are all peculiar grist to this author’s mill. She presents both historical subjects, such as Captain Scott of the Antarctic, and common objects, such as household bleach, with a skewed perspective, adding humor, drama, and a quietly distinctive pathos.