On the ground

by Fanny Howe

Paper Book, 2004

Status

Available

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Publication

Saint Paul, Minn. : Graywolf Press, c2004.

Description

A spiritually resonant and politically urgent new collection by the winner of the Lenore Marshall poetry prize My father was a soldier who was smaller than my son when he returned as a ghost. I begged him to stay with us but he said: "Not until you come to life." -from "[Untitled]" Fanny Howe's bold new collection responds to the contrast between American imperialist goals and the realities of life lived "on the ground." While our minds are preoccupied with the war games on television, we go on living among our ordinary joys and appetites. How can we live under these dissonant conditions and reconcile our existence with our longings?

User reviews

LibraryThing member StephenBarkley
Appreciating poetry is akin to fine wine-tasting or jazz collecting. It can seem like a mystery to the uninitiated, but a consuming passion to the lovers. I’ll be honest: my poetry acumen is woefully inadequate, but I still enjoy reading it. There were times in this book that I knew the words
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were important—even beautiful—even if I couldn’t explain why.

This is a book that wrestles with the grand topics of life: war, love, and religion. This book deserves to be read out loud. Even when the traditional way of understanding language disintegrates, the cadence feels somehow appropriate.

I’m afraid that’s the best review this poetry rookie can offer for this book. I enjoyed it, even if I’m unsure quite why.
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