Theories and Apparitions by Mark Doty

Theories and Apparitions by Mark Doty

In this, his eighth book of poetry, Mark Doty's subjects - our mortal situation, the evanescent beauty of the world, desire's transformative power and poetry's ability to give shape to human lives - echo and develop. The first poem, 'Pipistrelle', is a typically eloquent disquisition on the art of communication prompted by the flight of a bat - 'an inky signature too fast to trace' - and is followed by an extraordinary series of meditations and variations on this theme. The poet listens to cicadas, to Handel, to the calling of birds, to Juan the loquacious Mexican taxi driver; he steeps himself in the colour and incident of the streets and subways of New York City; he goes for a never-ending chi-gong massage and is visited by the shades of Berryman and Whitman. As the images accumulate and cohere, guided by Doty's unique style - both plainspoken and sophisticated, both wry and profound - we arrive at a new understanding of the way we live and the world we live in. He shows us what we love and its magnificent fragility - that 'the house of beauty is a house of flames' - and we see, once again, why he is regarded as one of America's most recognisable and most significant poets.

Doty's impressive range of gifts are all on show here * Guardian *
Doty's ability to meditate on the profound moments in life that co-exist in seemingly mundane situations is inspirational * Aesthetica *
Doty's new collection is immensely enjoyable, and as technically rich as ever * Times Literary Supplement *
Succinct and moving.. Effortlessly done, condensing his soul searching into neat and beautiful soundbites * The List *
Moving, splendidly observant, and unflinching, Mark Doty's poems extend the range of the American lyric poem * American Academy of Arts and Letters *

Mark Doty is the author of more than ten volumes of poetry and three memoirs. His many honours include the National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Whiting Writers’ Award, a Lila Wallace–Reader’s Digest Writers’ Award, and, in the UK, the T. S. Eliot Prize. He is a professor at Rutgers University and lives in New York City.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780224085281
ISBN 10	022408528X
Title	Theories and Apparitions
Author	Mark Doty
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Vintage Publishing
Year published	2008-10-02
Number of pages	64
Prizes	Short-listed for T S Eliot Prize 2008
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable