Category Archives: Poetry

Gathering Flowers

Posted on December 8, 2007 by Francois Lachance

Its etymology partakes of the botanical. Its practice, of specimen gathering. Who cares why? Michael McFee in “Anthologizing” (Epoch, Volume 62, Number 1 – 2013) does. One of Robert Pinsky’s excellent pieces of advice for young writers is: “Make your … Continue reading →

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Little Breeze Lifting Hair

Posted on December 7, 2007 by Francois Lachance

Robyn Sarah in The Essential Don Coles has collected one of his marvels — a portrait of a young son at play at the seashore and the play of the breeze in his hair. All by itself the image is … Continue reading →

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Twist Turn Buzz

Posted on December 6, 2007 by Francois Lachance

Epictetus may for a single passage in The Enchiridion sport the title of camp philosopher. As proof here I quote from the translation by Thomas W. Higginson in the Liberal Arts Press edition. If anyone tells you that a certain … Continue reading →

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Glass Box Towers

Posted on December 5, 2007 by Francois Lachance

Matthew Holmes concludes the four part “Starling’s Law of the Heart” in Hitch with a contemplation of the human and the urban condition. Inside, the hiss of the air was on, circulating something warm through the building. Down the street … Continue reading →

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Beyond the Light Pollution

Posted on November 29, 2007 by Francois Lachance

D.G. Jones gave us stars by fire Li Bai (Li Po) gives us stars by water. In sunshine, Censer Peak breathes purple mist. A jutting stream, the cataract hangs in spray Far off, then plunges down three thousand feet — … Continue reading →

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Sidereal Aspirations

Posted on November 28, 2007 by Francois Lachance

Robin Skelton ends the last of the four sections of “Four Inscriptions” in Landmarks with an appeal beyond the vagaries of posterity. No-one is listening. It does not matter. I am making something for far stars. This reminds me of … Continue reading →

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Forest Sorcery

Posted on November 21, 2007 by Francois Lachance

Robin Skelton, particularly in Landmarks, offers us poetry which is laden with wonderful West Coast atmospherics and sly transmogrifications. One striking passage describes flora in a manner attuned to how simple particulars seize imagination all the while making us brave … Continue reading →

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Sentence Slavery

Posted on November 20, 2007 by Francois Lachance

Margaret Webb. desire, high heels, red wine. understand the slavery of sentences […] breaking out of control shit like this the critics say women writers have no control over our sentences give us an inch of white space and we … Continue reading →

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X-rated Season

Posted on November 19, 2007 by Francois Lachance

Dionne Brand in Winter Epigrams & Epigrams to Ernesto Cardenal in Defense of Claudia provides us with a remarkable take on the endless pounding of the cold in a season that almost never ends. The epigram is place-specific but its … Continue reading →

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Circuit

Posted on November 17, 2007 by Francois Lachance

Deep geography. One follows a horizontal river run. That is Joyce’s “A way a lone a lost a last a loved a long the” which is the end of Finnegans Wake which famously links back to the riverrun opening. The … Continue reading →

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