The Logan Topographies

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AA-DR, September 23, 2012 (view all comments by AA-DR)
I will not claim to have unwavering knowledge of poetry, let alone of this particular genre, but I can say that this is wonderful to read.

The images painted by the author's words alone can be rough/primitive, but they are made elegant by the structure of every line. Each poem has been woven in such a creative way it gives further depth and says what is between the lines. Various underline thoughts and emotions are revealed and invoked with every page. The complex web of the lives, roles, positions, and relationships of the characters are mapped out with clarity. With each generation more truth is revealed and with them a new level of emotion. An enduring loneliness/sadness can be felt overall; deepening with every verse as the story unfolds, but one continues. As the characters themselves endure, you too endure to the very end.

I greatly enjoyed reading this and I also look forward to anything else that may emerge from this author.

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Bedtime story , August 8, 2012 (view all comments by Bedtime story )
Author tells a story rarely heard, one of miners and their families in a place you have rarely had the inside story on. This book offers a unique glimpse inside a very real world not often accurately depicted. This is your chance to know the real story, from the inside . The authors writing style is fresh and illustrative. I couldn't put this one down.

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SmoveTipp, July 25, 2012 (view all comments by SmoveTipp)
I didn't know what to expect when my copy of The Logan Topographies came. I had ordered it originally because a dear friend specifically recommended the book to me. However it is a genre which, frankly, I know next to nothing about. But I trusted my friend and as it turns out, well... Please read on.

I am not at all gifted in writing, however I do have the ability to recognize merit in things usually before others do. So it's ironic that a non-writer is writing the first review here of a book which was clearly written by an exceptionally gifted one! My background is acting, and of studying the human condition in general. Rarely am I afforded the privilege to experience such genuine, touching material. I can't call it a narrative, because it's poetry. Yet it paints a relatively cohesive picture. I'm at a loss to properly express the fact that this book touched my soul. Chalk it up to my writing shortcomings.

I found myself empathizing with the prose in an odd way--because my life experience is quite different from that reflected in the book, and that did not create a buffer or any defensiveness. I was just hooked and on a journey. I gained insight and felt things which are indescribable, but I know are wholly valid. In a similar way, I can tell when a script has a soul. I can't explain exactly how, but I know. Well, without doubt this book has that very same effect. Great literature--great art does that. It reaches right to one's heart.

This book is precious. It is modest in size, stature, and style, but it is powerful. I truly hope that the author, Alena Hairston, continues to share her gift with the world. Humanity needs it. I recommend this book most highly, but I don't think I'll ever part with my own copy. Somehow that's a contradiction, but that's part of being human, right?

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780892553297

Author:

Hairston, Alena

Publisher:

Persea Books

Author:

Northrop, Kate

Subject:

General

Subject:

American - General

Subject:

General Poetry

Subject:

Poetry-A to Z

Series:

Karen and Michael Braziller Books

Publication Date:

20070331

Binding:

TRADE PAPER

Grade Level:

General/trade

Language:

English

Illustrations:

Y

Pages:

57

Dimensions:

8 x 6 in