The poems that make up 'The Oxygen Man' were written in response to the death of the author's younger brother, a brilliant chemist who took his own life in 2008. They follow Limburg as she visits the mid-Western town where her brother lived, worked and died, range back over their shared childhood, and look ahead as she tries to work out what it means to be the one who stays behind.
Limburg's universe appears to be constantly twisting away from perception even as she pins it down in lines of singular economy.
Poetry Book Society
Joanne Limburg's The Woman Who Thought Too Much is about that most
intimate and destructive of civil wars - the fight against one's own
thoughts and obsessions. Brave, witty, intelligent, wise, and honest,
it is the story of a lifelong battle with neurosis, but it transcends
pathology, uncovering the extraordinary underside of all our "ordinary"
consciousness. Her unremitting candour liberates us all.
Raymond Tallis
Limburg's poetic sensibility sets her book apart
Tatler
...an articulate guide to the workings of the tormented mind...
The Daily Telegraph
She brings insight and rueful wit to her story, which is interesting
not only to her fellow walking wounded, but for writers and would-be writers.
Hilary Mantel, The Guardian
Whether her exceptional insights into her own life stem from poring over
the minutiae of her existence or from a rare poetic insight, her candid
narrative evokes both pity and admiration.
Metro
... Joanne Limburg renders her autobiographical tale with charming gusto
and boundless energy.... it's a lovely read, expertly crafted and imbued
with wry humour.
The List