A Penny Saved

Based on a true story. In her second full-length collection, A Penny Saved, Arisa White's elegantly harrowing poems investigate the idea of the captive within spousal abuse. Often utilizing the voice of the good wife Penny, these poems bring to the fore the effects of mental abuse in juxtaposition to a patriarchal world that tries to swallow the voice of Penny. White's poems drift from stream of consciousness to afterthought to dialogue in a way that exhibits her flexible and intimate relationship with language. With this dexterity, Penny's voice is realized.