"Alland swings like a trapeze artist between forms: from the apparent opacity of language poetry to the clarity of the lyric; from snippets of dramatic dialogue to prose; from internet URLs to geometry, all the while exploiting, at times brilliantly, the many resources of poetry. Blissful Times is language at play and in play; as such it reveals this to be the ultimate resource of language – indeed, it allows us to 'read the bodies of words.'"
– M. NourbeSe Philip
"A rather amazing tour de force showcasing poetry’s aptitude for invention and re-invention... Blissful Times, clearly, pays homage to [Samuel Beckett's] Happy Days. At the same time, Alland’s text rejects the static, hopeless vision of human existence which characterizes the plays of the Theatre of the Absurd... Alland replaces this Absurdist vision of meaninglessness with a dynamic – indeed, radical – political vision... Blissful Times is a disarming text, playful and entertaining, yet troubling.
– John C. Stout,
Open Letter: A Canadian Journal of Writing and Theory,
winter 2009
"Blissful Times is the Groundhog Day of poetry volumes...Alland's innovation probably comes from her background as a multimedia artist, poet, and publisher. Not one to be tied down to one title, it is no surprise that her work cannot be tied down to just one form."
– Elysia Bryan, Danforth Review, 2009
full review here
"...reminds me of Bernadette Mayer's belief that poetic experiment shows us exactly how much language can affect empirical meaning... poems like these encourage the reader to look beneath the surface of language, only to find more words there."
– Julia Bloch, make/shift, fall/winter 2007-2008
"Alland’s poetry flies, and it is full of her life’s intelligence and emotion, social and political connection."
– Lynn McClory, summer 2007, rabble.ca
"For those of us who enjoy witnessing a gifted writing talent explore the possibilities of text with an almost scientific tenacity, the book never disappoints. For those of use who simply enjoy a well-rendered read, the same satisfaction applies."
– Stacey Mae Fowles, spring 2007, toronto.untilmonday.com
full review here
"Alland was particularly interesting, since I'd not heard or read or met her before, although I'd heard her name for some time (I have to get copies of those books of hers at some point); a couple of us at the back of the room decided that she reminded us of Coach House author a. rawlings when she read, although less polished & with a wider range. The first third of her reading was particularly interesting, & then less so; her translations from English to English of a poem by Samuel Beckett over & over & over was extremely interesting, & produced some wonderful results. I think this is one of those poets I'm going to have to start paying some real attention to."
– rob mclennan, Ottawa Writers Festival