Anne Sheldon

This is a breezy poetic retelling of the Mesopotamian Inanna myth from the viewpoint of Ninshubur, the "faithful counselor" to Inanna. Sheldon is a storyteller and states that after many retellings of the story of Inanna as reconstructed by Diane Wolkstein and Samuel Noah Kramer, she felt there was a voice missing from the tale, so she set out to rectify the deficit.

Sheldon sets her retelling in a rather engaging amalgam of contemporary times and ancient Mesopotamia. The only difficulty in show more following the poem might be an unfamiliarity with Wolkstein's Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, on which Sheldon heavily relies. For the most part, the poetry is open and easy and quick to read.

The Invitation from Hell

Childbirth, dinner parties, a much grander house --
nothing had dulled Inanna's taste for adventure.
I was still content to work out,
get laid, and hunt the occasional boar.

Lying across a patchwork quilt,
made by her acolytes
from the last rainbow,
she tore open the black-bordered envelope,
scanned it, and skimmed it to the floor.

"The King of Hell is dead," she said.

The hair rose on the back of my neck.
"How? I thought he was immortal."

"Yes. A troubling precedent.
Who knows? My sister is ingenious.
But I shall attend the funeral."

..............

"It isn't pretty sibling rivalry,
but there are things you have to know
before you absolutely know they're unimportant.
And aside from questions
of Comparative Power, Beauty, and Happiness,
I have to know
I'm not afraid
of not coming back." show less