Lana Del Rey: Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass (Simon & Schuster 2020)
“And in that moment I decided to do nothing about everything”
Lana Del Rey became known for her melancholic romantic songs, of which she is not only a performer, but also a songwriter and composer. She often edits and directs her video clips herself. Her songs summon the America of the 1950s – 1960s. This is also indicated by her stage name, which she took in honor of Hollywood actress Lana Turner, as well as the name of the Ford Del Rey car type, after her previous album released under the name Lizzy Grant (the artist’s original name was Elizabeth Grant) achieved only moderate success.
Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass is Lana Del Rey’s first book of poems, featuring over thirty poems, many of which have never been published elsewhere. In this special edition, we can read the artist’s typewritten and annotated manuscripts, which are complemented by her own photos.
I haven’t read poems a long time ago, but I was very curious about this book. The poems completely reflected the mood of her songs, reading them and looking at the pictures, you can almost feel the warm Californian sun on your skin. Because of the typewritten pages and her unique own photos, I had the feeling that I was holding a special treasure in my hands. I liked the haikus at the end of the book the best. This is a timeless book that I will reread many times and I hope this is not the last book by the author.
