Nick Telfer

In his poem “Sunday Morning”, Wallace Stevens asks “Shall our blood fail? Or shall it come to be/The blood of paradise? And shall the earth/Seem all of paradise that we shall know?” The questions wonder what will happen if humans no longer have some kind of religious myth system to believe in. And the poem goes on to suggest that without thoughts of a Paradise beyond the earth, human life would be much happier.

Nick Telfer has given his novella/sequence of stories/prose poem/retelling of biblical tales the title “All of Paradise that we shall know”, and I’m still trying to figure out whether he is of the Wallace Stevens party, or whether he wants us to go back to the old tales of David and Joseph and all those ancient psalm-singing folk, and find comfort there.

Whatever the belief system behind “All of Paradise that we shall know”, the writing is muscular, evoking character and place with easy, broad strokes, but it is also difficult, in the way that JP Donleavy is difficult, or Jeff Vandermeer – you never really feel sure about what is going on, or why. Which is a good thing.

I enjoyed reading the book again – more than on first reading, when my friend Grant sent me a copy over ten years ago - and I intend to read it a third time and maybe a fourth. I don’t know if it’s still available to buy, but if it is, read it.… (mehr)