Skinship (スキンシップ) is Alexandra Corrin-Tachibana’s thrilling second collection and is the sequel to Salt bestseller, Sing me down from the dark (2022), featuring the same feisty protagonist, dark humour, and moments that will make you cry. ‘Skinship’ derives from the Japanese ‘loan word’ fusing ‘skin’ and ‘kinship’. The word can refer to intimate situations, such as bathing naked with friends or lovers in Japanese hot springs, and this bold and sensuous collection does not hold back. Embedded in the word skinship is the word ‘kin’ and the poet explores motherhood, relationships between women, and relationships with partners (including controlling partners, narcissistic abuse and cross-cultural relationships). However, as always in Corrin-Tachibana’s writing, there is a balance of light and dark. There are many hilarious moments, such as in her imaginative zuihitsu titled ‘Madam Gout’ which provide a lovely contrast with darker pieces and more tender moments when writing about her son.The collection is set against the Japanese cultural landscape and is strongly influenced by Japanese women writers including Sei Shōnagon, Yoko Ono, Machiko Tawara and Kimiko Hahn. Threaded through the collection is a witty and surreal sequence after Yoko Ono, including Artemesia prize shortlisted poem, ‘How to Enjoy Kyoto’. This compelling and formally innovative narrative showcases beautiful Japanese poetical forms, such as her Winchester-prize shortlisted zuihitsu, ‘Skinship’, as well as haiku and tanka, which Corrin-Tachibana completely makes her own. Her collection is rooted in her lived experience of Japan and her love of Japanese literature, and the poems also explore her reconnection with the country when she returned after a 15 year hiatus. The use of Japanese language and script in some poems, as well as the collage-like layout of her zuihitsu, make ‘Skinship’ visually appealing, as well as a compelling read.
