Spontaneous Particulars: The Telepathy of Archives (New Directions Books)
Susan Howe’s newest book of poetry is a revelation as well as a mystery.
“What treasures of knowledge we cluster around.†That This is a collection in three pieces. “Disappearance Approach,†an essay about the sudden death of the author’s husband (“land of darkness or darkness itself you shadow mouthâ€), begins the book with paintings by Poussin, an autopsy, Sarah Edwards and her sister-in-law Hannah, phantoms, elusive remnants, and snakes. “Frolic Architecture,†the second section ― inspired by visits to the vast 18th-century Jonathan Edwards archives at the Beinecke and accompanied by six black-and-white photograms by James Welling ― presents hauntingly lovely, oblique text-collages that Howe (with scissors and “invisible†Scotch Tape and a Canon copier) has twisted, flattened, and snipped into “inscapes of force.†The final section, “That This,†delivers beautiful short squares of verse that might look at home in a hymnal, although their orderly appearance packs startling power:Country | USA |
Brand | New Directions |
Manufacturer | New Directions |
Binding | Paperback |
ItemPartNumber | 9780811219181 |
ReleaseDate | 2010-12-31 |
UnitCount | 1 |
EANs | 9780811219181 |