Days of Our Lives Lie in Fragments: New and Old Poems, 1957–1997 - Softcover

Garrett, George P.; Garrett, George

Softcover

ISBN 10: 080712284X ISBN 13: 9780807122846

Publisher: LSU Press, 1998

Synopsis

Although George Garrett is best known for his outstanding fiction, he has also written a large body of superb poetry. This generous compilation, which brings together the work of almost a half-century and adds to it some forty-three new poems, splendidly affirms Henry Taylor’s assertion that “[George Garrett’s] poetry is among the treasures of contemporary literature.”

Garrett’s older poems are arranged in roughly chronological order, enabling the reader to see how his work has changed even as it addresses his unaltering central concerns. Through various styles and forms, ranging from bawdy satires to quiet lyrics, Garrett remains an unwavering moralist, one who confronts larger issues without affectation or evasion. The new poems here cover fresh ground and offer surprising discoveries, but their voice is unmistakably Garrett’s.

Garrett’s poems can be intensely personal, extremely witty, evocative of real places, or beautiful love ballads. Yet, for all of its diversity, Garrett’s poetry has an extraordinary unity of vision that is magnified in this remarkable collection of his life’s work.

About this title

About the Author:

George Garrett―poet, novelist, critic, and editor―has written seven previous volumes of poetry, including Luck’s Shining Child. He is Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Virginia.

From Library Journal:

"But what of all the infamous others, ourselves/ I mean, still alive and on fire and in love/ with the taste of words." Garrett is very much alive and on fire, and this volume allows us to hold nearly 40 years of his poetry in our hands?a heavy load, indeed. Dedicated readers will find many familiar pieces, and all can delight in the new. When the poet takes an old anthology from a library shelf, he appreciates the "pleasures of dust, of dry stained pages," and he notes that, according to its card, it has not been checked out in a decade. In his hands he holds the moments, passions, and ideas of his predecessors, and he revels in their "anonymous dignity." If we are smart, we will not let Garrett's poems sit so long between readings. His are human, funny, and thoughtful poems?what we often need when we stand in front of a crowded shelf not sure of what to reach for. For those who know Garrett the novelist, make room in your stacks for these wonderful lyrics.?Louis McKee, Painted Bride Arts Ctr., Philadelphia
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: LSU Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 080712284X
• ISBN 13: 9780807122846
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 222