Questions from Outer Space

       The saying may go “never judge a book by its cover,” but Diane Thiel’s Questions from Outer Space may be an exception to the rule. From the cover alone, which is reminiscent of a Salvador Dalí painting, Thiel’s ability to connect with her audience is remarkable, opening section one with a quote from Chilean poet-diplomat Pablo Neruda, asking, “What did the tree learn from the earth to be able to talk with the sky?” Consisting of four chapters, each section opens with a quote that sets the tone for its entirety, ranging from self-doubt and awareness to overcoming feelings of existential dread. Beginning with section one titled “Questions of Time and Direction,” and ending with section four, “Time in the Wilderness,” it is safe to assume that Thiel is more than interested with the concept of time.
       As if by some twist of fate, Thiel’s third published collection of poetry was seemingly written in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, describing what many have been feeling throughout the past two years; doubt, selflessness, and even selfishness. A critical analysis of human connection, the poem titled “Remotely” reads, “In the culture of Remotely, things were heading that way/ long before the virus. Once they could remotely/ operate things, every home in Remotely had one.” It is poems such as this one that makes the reader question everything they have come to know, including who they were before and after reading and truly analyzing Thiel’s work, as well as who they were before and after the pandemic. 
       Aside from the concept of time, another recurring theme Thiel presents throughout her poems is that of nature, comparing the simplicities (and even the hardships) of life to the ever changing seasons. The poem “Three Seasons,” as its name suggests, details how seasons can coincide with one’s emotions, which can be, as previously mentioned, ever changing or rather, everlasting. “How They Arrived” reads, “Every storm tells a story, leaves a trail,/ maps itself in the leaves and trunks of trees,/ into every seed that makes a journey.” Thiel’s usage of imagery, metaphors, and similes make it possible for the reader to reflect (or deflect) on the different stages they have faced throughout their life, such as melancholy-filled childhood memories leading into years of adulthood longing for said childhood. 
       Other poems such as “Questions from Four Dimensions,” “Questions of Time and Direction,” and titalar piece “The Factory (Questions from Outer Space)” consist of, you guessed it, questions from the inner workings of Thiel’s mind that the reader must answer, one of which consisting of  “Why would they train such an incredibly free brain/ to conform to such small dimensions?” While reading it appears as though Thiel is asking these questions not to find a particular answer, but to challenge herself and the reader to think “outside of the box” in terms of what has become normalized and what is considered to be taboo in terms of societal normalities. And, truly, who are “they” that Thiel speaks of throughout the text? Society? One’s conscience? Thiel’s choice of speaking in third person does not take away from her poems or their meaning, but rather adds an extra layer to this already multi-layered novel that keeps the reader guessing and questioning. 
       As its title suggests, Questions from Outer Space reveals all of the questions author Diane Thiel has seemingly wanted to ask openly throughout her life, but has not been able to until now. Whether that be the pandemic’s doing or even her own self-realization, Thiel’s way of connecting with her audience on, dare I say, an otherworldly level is astounding; her words making their way into the mind, body, and spirit of her reader. She proves that it is not about the answers we as people may provide others, but the initial questions we may have that can spark an insightful and, hopefully, inspiring, conversation. Afterall, as the last poem “Time in the Wilderness” reads, “the simplest question [opens] the world again.”