April is National Poetry Month, and 2016 is the celebration’s 20th anniversary. April is also the time when students are tucked away quietly in libraries studying for finals and people are sequestered indoors to escape the rain. So, here are 5 books of poetry for you to enjoy in the peace and quiet as the sun slowly creeps its way back into our Atlantic Canadian sky.
Check out the links for reviews, excerpts, and a deeper look.
The Blind Man’s Eyes, Rita Joe: A collection of over 100 of Joe’s best poems and an essay by George Elliot Clarke on her achievement, The Blind Man’s Eyes cements Joe’s place in Canadian literature.
The Brief Reincarnation of a Girl, Sue Goyette: Her eulogy for a girl society failed, Goyette’s poems explore the 2006 death of a four-year old Massachusetts girl from prolonged exposure to medication prescribed for ADHD and bi-polar disorder.
a fist made and then un-made, Matt Robinson: Shortlisted for the bpNichol Chapbook Award, a fist made and then un-made is the perfect way to acquaint, or reacquaint, yourself with Robinson’s poetry and get ready for his next collection Some Nights It’s Entertainment; Some Other Nights Just Work, coming this fall.
Not Even Laughter, Phillip Crymble: You may know Crymble as the poetry editor for the Fiddlehead and in this, his debut book of collected poems, he finds his own voice. Richard Tillenghast advises reading this one with a hangover, and it will set everything right.
Crossover, M. Travis Lane: Lane is a poet that can’t be nailed down. She flows seamlessly between lyric, monologue, song and riddle. This is her 15th collection as she explores our world and her own inner world.
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