Trying X Trying -- Dora Malech, Paperback

Poetry that wrestles with language, loss, and resilience in times of crisis.

In Trying × Trying, Dora Malech dissects the language of our times; she turns over the familiar phrases of politics, parenthood, and pandemic to reveal what lies beneath. Through playing with the double meaning of "trying" as both perseverance and reproductive struggle, these poems navigate public and private spheres and interrogate the words we use to make sense of uncertainty and belief.

With sharp lyricism and restless energy, Malech transforms language into prayer and protest. Sound bends, meanings shift, and repetition becomes a revelation as she traces the tensions between individual and collective experience. Trying × Trying is an enlightening meditation on persistence, reminding us that even in fractured times, poetry finds a way forward.

Author: Dora Malech
Publisher: Carnegie-Mellon University Press
Published: 09/23/2025
Pages: 88
Binding Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9780887487118

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/16/2025

About the Author
Dora Malech is a poet and associate professor in the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University and editor-in-chief of The Hopkins Review. Her most recent book of poetry is Flourish, and her poems have appeared in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, Poetry, and The Best American Poetry.