Ross Gay is the author of two previous collections, Against Which and Bringing the Shovel Down. His poems have appeared in American Poetry Review, Orion, the Sun, and elsewhere. ÊHe is an associate professor of poetry at Indiana University and teaches in
A compelling look at the nature of the confessional poem, as well
as the creative process.-- "Denver Quarterly"
I'm bowled over by how Ross Gay reaches again and again toward
stating what's beautiful, what's sweet, what's most emotionally
moving to him: he is genuinely 'unabashed.' He is definitely
interested in the sentimental, but the poems don't feel remotely
treacly to me. They feel bold and wild and weird.-- "American
Poetry Review"
In this bright book of life, Ross Gay lopes through the whole
alphabet of emotions, from anger to zest. Merely considering the
letter 'R, ' for example, these poems are by turns racy,
rollicking, reflective, rambunctious, raunchy, and rhapsodic.
Praise and lamentation rub shoulders, along with elegy and elation,
and every page is dazzling.-- "Scott Russell Sanders, author of
Earth Works: Selected Essays"
Like one big celebration bursting with joy . . . Gay's poems burst
forth in leggy, unexpected ways, zooming in on legs furred with
pollen or soil breast-stroking into the xylem. Gay's praise is
Whitmanesque, full of manure, mulberry-stained purple bird poop,
dirty clothes and hangovers, but also the pleasure of bare feet, of
pruning a peach tree, of feeding a neighbor. . . . Whether you're
feeling like you have a whole brass band of gratitude or if you're
feeling like you only have a rusty horn, read this book. Gay even
thanks you for reading it, saying 'I can't stop my gratitude, which
includes dear reader, you for staying here with me, for moving your
lips just so as I speak.'-- "Tess Taylor, NPR, All Things
Considered"
Ross Gay is a fresh voice in American poetry. His poems are
fast-paced, carefully crafted with great attention to detail of
those he writes about and the images that surround him. His poetry
consists of beautiful metaphors and startling images.-- "Fox Chase
Review"
These poems are shout-outs to earth's abundance: the fruits,
blooms, meals, insects, waters, conversations, trees, embraces, and
helping hands--the taken-for-granted wonders that make life worth
living, even in the face of death. Lyric and narrative, elegy and
epithalamion, intoxicated and intoxicating--expansive, but
breathlessly uttered, urgent. Ross Gay has much to say to you--yes,
dear reader, you--and you definitely want to hear it.-- "Evie
Shockley"
Unabashed gratitude may be what Gay most wants us to notice and
appreciate in his work, but getting-to-the-point is the most
unabashed gesture of his project. Yet in his most vibrant poems,
the getting-there is much more affecting than his destinations. The
embracing, intimate sound of his speech is the pleasure.-- "On the
Seawall"
Ask a Question About this Product More... |