UC Clermont professor publishes first book of poetry, ‘Helen of Bikini’
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UC Clermont-
The path to Phoebe Reeves’s first book started on a woodland trail that led from her family’s house to her grandparents’ farm in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
“It was quite idyllic,” said Reeves, whose book, “Helen of Bikini,” was released this month by Lily Poetry Review.
Once she arrived, Reeves’s grandfather, also a poet, would share his latest works with her. She would carry the words back home, where music and literature filled the space around her.
“Almost everyone on both sides of my family is a musician or writer in some way,” said Reeves, who played flute in high school and majored in Opera at the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Fredonia.
Reeves felt the familial pull toward the written word, however, and graduated with a master’s degree in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College. She then came to the University of Cincinnati to teach and has held a full-time faculty position at UC Clermont since 2007.
Reeves has previously published three chapbooks of poetry, most recently “The Flame of Her Will” (Milk & Cake). Her poems have appeared in The Gettysburg Review, Phoebe, Grist, Forklift OH and The Chattahoochee Review. She has been awarded fellowships by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Vermont Studio Center.
“There is no room for you to lie to yourself when you’re writing a poem,” Reeves said of her love of poetry. “There’s no multitasking. It’s the anti-contemporary activity. You must be quiet, breathe and pay attention. It’s increasingly difficult and important for all of us to do.”
Reeves’s “Helen of Bikini,” is years in the making, comprising works Reeves started in graduate school through 2022. The poems are concerned with feminist and environmental issues, including life in a post-nuclear world.
“My interest has always been, ‘what is the relationship that humans have with the larger world?’” Reeves said. “Every time you take a breath, you’re inextricably part of the larger world. We have hubris that we can manipulate it.”
Reeves is currently on a book tour that includes stops in Washington, D.C.; Seattle; New York; New Jersey; and Boston. Locally, she is holding a book release event at Bircus in Ludlow, Ky., on March 31, and will take part in UC Clermont’s Poetry Series April 5, on the college’s Batavia campus and on Zoom.
While Reeves is enjoying her sabbatical from teaching while promoting the book, she looks forward to getting back in the classroom this fall to share her passion with students once again.
“I love converting people,” said Reeves. “A student doesn’t like to write, then they find something they’re interested in, and they end up enjoying it. Our students are curious and generous with each other, and I love being in a classroom with people who want to learn.”
“Helen of Bikini” is available through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop or the publisher. Hear Reeves share her work during UC Clermont’s Poetry Series Wednesday, April 5, held in the UC Clermont Library at 12:30 p.m. or virtually via Zoom.
UC Clermont College is located in the center of Clermont County on 91 beautifully wooded acres in Batavia Township. The college is an accredited, open-access institution offering more than 60 programs and degrees. UC Clermont is part of the nationally recognized University of Cincinnati. For more information, call 513-732-5200 or visit www.ucclermont.edu.
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“It was quite idyllic,” said Reeves, whose book, “Helen of Bikini,” was released this month by Lily Poetry Review.
Once she arrived, Reeves’s grandfather, also a poet, would share his latest works with her. She would carry the words back home, where music and literature filled the space around her.
“Almost everyone on both sides of my family is a musician or writer in some way,” said Reeves, who played flute in high school and majored in Opera at the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Fredonia.
Reeves felt the familial pull toward the written word, however, and graduated with a master’s degree in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College. She then came to the University of Cincinnati to teach and has held a full-time faculty position at UC Clermont since 2007.
Reeves has previously published three chapbooks of poetry, most recently “The Flame of Her Will” (Milk & Cake). Her poems have appeared in The Gettysburg Review, Phoebe, Grist, Forklift OH and The Chattahoochee Review. She has been awarded fellowships by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Vermont Studio Center.
“There is no room for you to lie to yourself when you’re writing a poem,” Reeves said of her love of poetry. “There’s no multitasking. It’s the anti-contemporary activity. You must be quiet, breathe and pay attention. It’s increasingly difficult and important for all of us to do.”
Reeves’s “Helen of Bikini,” is years in the making, comprising works Reeves started in graduate school through 2022. The poems are concerned with feminist and environmental issues, including life in a post-nuclear world.
“My interest has always been, ‘what is the relationship that humans have with the larger world?’” Reeves said. “Every time you take a breath, you’re inextricably part of the larger world. We have hubris that we can manipulate it.”
Reeves is currently on a book tour that includes stops in Washington, D.C.; Seattle; New York; New Jersey; and Boston. Locally, she is holding a book release event at Bircus in Ludlow, Ky., on March 31, and will take part in UC Clermont’s Poetry Series April 5, on the college’s Batavia campus and on Zoom.
While Reeves is enjoying her sabbatical from teaching while promoting the book, she looks forward to getting back in the classroom this fall to share her passion with students once again.
“I love converting people,” said Reeves. “A student doesn’t like to write, then they find something they’re interested in, and they end up enjoying it. Our students are curious and generous with each other, and I love being in a classroom with people who want to learn.”
“Helen of Bikini” is available through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop or the publisher. Hear Reeves share her work during UC Clermont’s Poetry Series Wednesday, April 5, held in the UC Clermont Library at 12:30 p.m. or virtually via Zoom.
UC Clermont College is located in the center of Clermont County on 91 beautifully wooded acres in Batavia Township. The college is an accredited, open-access institution offering more than 60 programs and degrees. UC Clermont is part of the nationally recognized University of Cincinnati. For more information, call 513-732-5200 or visit www.ucclermont.edu.
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