Arthur Sze

This is a book of poetry and I am not really much of a poetryphile, so bear this in mind when reading this review. Mr. Sze is not Robert Frost or Lord Byron. That said, he has his moments and the appreciation of poetry is in the eye of the reader or the ear of the listener. In short, you will either like his poetry, or you will not. What I think about it is quite irrelevant. 'Nuf said on that. The book itself has a cover made from hand-made paper. It was printed by means of letterpress, then hand-sewn with Irish linen thread. Both the presswoman and the poet have signed copy 103 of 134. All in all, it's a fine example of modern poetry and the bookmaker's art. As of this review, St. Brigid's press still had some copies, but no guarantees beyond that.… (mehr)

Many poems in this collection focus on New Mexico, where Sze currently lives. He does a magnificent job with the desert, the seasons, fire, water. Other poems reflect his Chinese heritage, and others have to do with travel. Relationships, the passage of time, cooking, cars, and daily life exist within the same poems.

Peonies, mushrooms, and spotted towhees show up in multiple poems.

This is the last of the 2019 National Book Award for Poetry finalists for me, and this is the winner. It wasn't my favorite of the five, but was a solid 2nd or 3rd favorite for me.… (mehr)