White Shirt by Laurie MacFayden: a review by S.E.Ingraham

White Shirt, Laurie MacFayden’s debut collection of poems, is filled with contradictions and affirmations, all of which contribute to leading the reader down paths that echo with the voice of this enigmatic, seemingly straight-forward, and anything but, word-weaver. A one-time sports-writer, MacFayden’s predilection for hockey and all things boyish is reflected in poems such as “five hole” but, just as you’re sure you’ve got her number, figured her out, she flays you raw with something as lovely and somewhat feminine feeling as “song for bedtime”. MacFayden’s voice is as gravelly on the page as it is on the microphone, as much a pleasure to read as it is to hear. With seemingly boundless courage, she takes a hard look at life and reports back her thoughts in words unique to her experience. Let’s hope she’s just getting started.