Interrogating and modernizing the myth of Psyche
A review of Casey Catherine Moore’s Psyche
By Gregory Luce
[This review was originally published in Scene4. We are republishing it today in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. Learn more about Mental Health Awareness Month here.]
In Psyche (Anxiety Press, 2024) Casey Catherine Moore interrogates, queers, and modernizes the myth of Psyche, the goddess of the soul in Greek and Roman mythology who was loved by Eros and tormented by Aphrodite (or Cupid and Venus, respectively, in Roman terms). Rich in explanatory notes and annotations, the book reflects Moore’s extensive scholarship and her strong poetic skills. These poems present a Psyche for the modern world, but also reveal many aspects of the poet’s psyche as she struggles to maintain equilibrium while navigating bipolar illness and sexuality outside the heteronormative.
Casey Catherine Moore is a D.C. based “bipolar, bisexual poet,” as she describes herself. Not only a poet, Moore is a scholar and classicist holding a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of South Carolina. She teaches at Georgetown University. Psyche, her first full-length collection of poetry, demonstrates both her command of language and deep classical knowledge.
The book begins like a classical epic with an Invocation to the Muses:
“Sing, O’ Muse
the Madness of Psyche—of fires and floods—
and the glimpses of sturdiness
in between.”
Polarities and binaries are already being interrogated. In a powerful passage in “Psyche Shares Too Much on a First Date,” Psyche/the poet refutes the simplistic categories of traditional mental illness diagnoses and beautifully delineates the complex and dynamic nature of madness. I quote at length because the excerpt is not only exceptional in itself, but representative of the depth and richness of language to be found throughout the book.
“Mania and melancholia
la folie de circulaire
folie à double forme
manic depression
bipolar disorder//
Now they finally notice
we are sometimes still, with shifting
iridescent mollusk moods
as we move, as we create, as we hibernate//
We have stillness—naturally in quiet moments
grounded in our bones—and stillness through medicine.//
More than bipolar, more than two poles,
more than high and low,
mania with melancholia both on a shifting ring….//
I am not bipolar.//
I am filled with la folie circulaire avec
périodes de tranquillité—circular insanity, with stillness.
Nothing here is singular or fixed, sexuality and eroticism exist alongside intellectual and aesthetic pleasure.
“Psyche Makes Love With Thetis in the Water” is an intense, sensual depiction of an encounter between goddesses in the element that most represents the psyche, the unconscious seeking consciousness. In a conversation with her future husband Cupid, “[w]ords flew back and forth in the garden,” but likewise does Psyche’s appreciation of Cupid’s physical charms: “Cupid’s eyes:/ deep pools of chestnut quicksand/ you want to fall into”; his voice, “whipped butter melting/on a fresh-baked roll”; legs “[c]arved like Adonis statues/ and the bark of sturdy tree trunks.” The erotic, aesthetic, and intellectual mix freely.
These brief excerpts only hint at the beauty, richness, and profundity of these poems. If you are not familiar with the myths depicted here, the book will provide a very useful and contemporary introduction. For those looking for a fresh take on these ancient stories, the collection will deliver. And for those of us on the madness spectrum, especially if also possessed by a strong creative drive, the book offers empathy, encouragement, and fellowship.
Order your copy of Psyche here.
Learn more about Casey Catherine Moore’s writing, teaching, and writing coaching on her website: www.caseycatherinemoorephd.com.
Casey regularly hosts poetry open mics at the Brookland location of Busboys and Poets, including May 23 and June 27. She also hosts the open mic series for queer and neurodivergent poets, Electric Euphoria, which you can follow on Instagram @electriceuphoriadc for updates about future events.
Learn more about Casey Catherine Moore’s writing, teaching, and writing coaching on her website: www.caseycatherinemoorephd.com, and follow her on Instagram @caseycatherinemoore.
Casey Catherine Moore is a bipolar, bisexual poet, writing coach, and educator. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of South Carolina and teaches at Georgetown University. Her poetry collection Psyche was published by Anxiety Press in 2024. She believes that positive change is possible by celebrating unique and authentic voices, and she draws inspiration from the madness and beauty within and all around her.
Gregory Luce is the co-founder and poetry editor of Washington Unbound. He is a poet living in Arlington, Virginia who has published six chapbooks, and numerous poems in print and online. He serves as Poetry Editor of The Mid-Atlantic Review. In addition to poetry, he writes a monthly column for the online arts journal Scene4.