Earthen Lavers

A few years ago, William Logan wrote, “Poetry has long been a major art with minor audience.”1 We could more accurately call it many audiences grouped, like the poets, around region, identity, ideology, and artistic affiliations—a fragmentation that makes generalizations difficult. It is not easy to place in larger context three books I am reviewing here—Tyler Chadwick's Litany Wings, Scott Hales's Hemingway Paradise Other Poems, Elizabeth Pinborough's The Brain's Lectionary. collection most explicitly tied Mormon culture Paradise. But suppose “Afterlives” were called “The Modern Purgatorio”? Or “Primary Activity” became “Vacation Bible School”? They would work about as well. Wings Lectionary have affiliations feminism's goddess poetry, both borrow heavily from liturgical language of Catholicism, though probably ways suggest their non-Catholic origin. Poetry by neurodivergent poets recently received increased attention; brilliant example deserves find an audience beyond LDS circles.Each book reviewed here well worth reader's time. enjoyed them practicing poet learned much them.Tyler five sections thirteen poems, introductory concluding poem. publisher's designers, D. Christian Harrison Andrew Heiss, designed beautiful volume. Many poems are ekphrastic, based on artworks J. Kirk Richards others; debt these works acknowledged unobtrusive marginal notes, fine design feature. poet's biography, depicted suggests he aspired be plastic artist until his twenty-third year (“Triptych for My Twenty-Third Year . ”); artist's eye evident exploration inspired him renderings landscape.The often demanding dense, drawing senses traditional worship liturgy. To see how Chadwick mixes sensuous, consider beginning lines “Litany (in Forty Short Stanzas)”: Ah! tongue, snakelike,your subtle psaltery. Totaste your staves profaneas Ave Mariastonguing my cheek. (69)The noticeable use peculiar history evocations peep stone / seer object metaphor. density heightening product attempt express unique understanding spirit body constitute soul. emphasis corporeal. For instance, depicting speech, resort organs speech production also used eating, especially lips, palate. Breath mingles flesh we consume. acutely aware longing, appetite, hunger forms, spiritual bodily. In section devoted recollections mission New Zealand, explores hungers younger self did know recognize.Perhaps direct statement this theme occurs at end “Big Bang, Sternutation Seer Stones,” where Creation Fall single event. Heavenly Father Mother carry conversation thatseared drupe-stoneseared open palm adamah'speeping. seed cracked wide, sighedflaming tongues quanta throughthe holy appetence consciousness. (134)“Big Bang” final poem section, “Goddess Repose: Psalter Eternal Mother.” Her presence felt throughout sensuous draws imagery nursing God Greek descriptions goddesses. can accessible human than pantheon, delightful unrhymed sonnet stirring something up, folding light.”Scott Poems entertaining, effectively mixing comedy, pathos, nostalgia, satire. invite reader turn page—and back, too, savor insights emotions. After poem, two sections—seventeen “Afterlives,” twenty-one “Lives.”That entertaining does mean serious. found helpful question: world, why one choose remain fallen state rather accept rescue? several dead figures Hales writes about—Hemingway (“Hemingway Paradise”), Clyde Barrow (“Immaterial Matter”), Dale Carnegie (“Self Help”), example—show attachment earthly habits ideas, one's self-image worldly thriving, block conversion. Of particular interest regard Columbus, “A Man Among Gentiles”; life sometimes acted under divine inspiration, committed grave crimes prison cannot understand punishment. Nathan Bedford Forrest (“Nathan”) imagines hard repentance forgiveness those whose lives hateful thought deed; faintly recalls unredeemable beasts “Babylon.” Most surprising comical me Jonathan Edwards, Calvinist preacher theologian, who discovers ping-pong joys exercising agency: Rather lookin sky or dust beneath feet, casthis eyes across net, unafraid moment. (11)The variety characters situations impressive, but far behind “Lives.” This begins W. Phelps's observations comet Donati (“When Phelps Observed Donati”), then proceeds impromptu hilariously rendered moonwalk while was attending Primary activity night (“Primary Activity, 1984”): shimmy once spinon heel. And knowI shouldn't, spring tippy-toes,knees bending tight rightangles, grab tiny crotchwith green-mittened hand. (37)The next imaginatively recasts relationship King Noah Abinadi boyhood friendship ending fiery deaths (“As Burned”).Reading brought mind saying Nietzsche: “Everything good light. All runs delicate feet.”2 These light feet divinely full understanding, wit, love.Elizabeth Lectionary: Psalms Observations another beautifully By Common Consent Press. Drawn experience traumatic brain injury, addressed “anyone extremity,” including “those living long-term consequences chronic health concerns, any trauma shatters self” (“Introduction,” xvii). its appeal broader. losing so much—the grasp language, relationships ordinary life, else constitutive self—is movingly told. Unlike undergo such experiences, Pinborough returned tell us all.Lectionary hybrid volume shape prose short verse play, psalms, typographic experiments, linocuts author others. Each form purpose. example, “shape serve strange devotions inexpressibly times” (xv). typographical experiments mimic “the way eighty billion individual neurons communicate synapses become functional networks.”A lectionary scripture readings appointed given day, two- three-year cycle. fifty-two presumably each week year, weeks described Psalmist Inquires, Under what moon?” rimrock round lunar canyons (fifty-two cycles complete)” (111). As includes images our consideration—twenty graphic all, some repeated spread over pages.In expressing injury recovery, encompasses vast range existence, undersea galaxies, brain's cells electrochemistry center. slipperiness imbedded metaphor visual resemblances between unlike life-forms enables yoke heterogeneous levels existence. Bang Neurogenesis” describes “astrocytes died”—astrocytes star-shaped cells—and “remains emerged new matter—a kind // name since stars spin alike center circumference galaxies” (42). “Purkinje ekphrasis” meditation image Purkinje cells: looks likea little heart,leafingfrom aorta intoseaweedfronds. (73)Some resonate deeply depict injured lost sea—“I drifted quarter consciousness raft sea” (“Threshing God,” 128)—or deep ocean; “Pseudoliparis swirei,” traumatized ghostlike snailfish Mariana Trench. Perhaps favorite “Jared's Answers”; response Lord's question, “What will ye should do may light?” (Ether 2:23), Jared requests signals sea life: Give blue paths, bioluminescence waters. constellations dotting firefly squid. dinoflagellates flashing on, off. (63)In reading pondering books, impressed worlds “earthy spheres, invisible lives, miraculous micro-architectures” (“Klaus Diatomist ,” Lectionary, 83) move, challenge, inspire careful reader. publishers, Lit Lab, deserve praise support nurturing writers publishing well-designed, affordable editions.