Synopses & Reviews
A new collection of poems from celebrated poet, novelist, and biographer Jay Parini
This new collection from acclaimed poet Jay Parini, the first in well over a decade, revolves around his deep connection to nature and underlines his concerns about the impacts of pollution and climate change. Published on the heels of a major new biography of Gore Vidal (Doubleday, October 2015), and around the same time as the anticipated release of a new film based on his book Benjamin’s Crossing, this collection will also be Parini’s first since the release of the popular and acclaimed film The Last Station, based on his novel of the same title. In these beautiful, haunting poems, Parini writes about the landscapes of mining country, of the railroads of Pennsylvania, of farm country, of worlds lost, families dispersed, faith tried and contested.
Synopsis
A new book, the first in over a decade, from acclaimed poet Jay Parini
This volume revolves around his deep connection to nature and underlines his concerns about the impacts of pollution and climate change. In these beautiful, haunting poems, Parini writes about the landscapes of mining country, of the railroads of Pennsylvania, of farm country, of worlds lost and families dispersed. He explores faith and how it is tested. He limns the deepest crevices of the human heart and soul. He surprises and moves us.
In addition to a complete volume s worth of new work, called West Mountain Epilogue, offering more than fifty poems never before published in any form, Parini has collected the very best work from his previous four volumes, the poems, as he tells us, written in the past forty years that I wish to stand by.
Lavishly and deservingly praised over the decades for his work as an essayist, critic, biographer, novelist, and, especially, poet, Parini shines as never before in this generous volume."
Jay Parini on PowellsBooks.Blog
Sometimes I wonder if I should only have written poems. Poetry was my first love, so to speak; it remains the bedrock of my writing and reading life, even my teaching life. But of course I’ve wandered astray, trying my hand at novels and biographies of Steinbeck, Frost, Faulkner, Jesus, and Gore Vidal – as well as books of essays on various subjects...
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