Winner, Archibald Lampman Poetry Award and Ottawa Book AwardThese poems chart moments where the beauty of life is glimpsed like a carnival through a crack in a fence. The verse is full of living toys, dressing up, and daylight ghosts. His world is peopled with gods and heroes and inventories the luminous, devastating details of everyday lives. Poile discerns that love is an odd mix of a fairy princess and the monster under the bed. Tracing a firm entry into middle age, Poile favours the expression of a shared experience of the world as opposed to the youthful desire to be unique. He vaults between two worlds: an outer, urban landscape where people raise families, make a living, and get on in the world and an inner terrain of thought and emotion. Metre and rhyme both underscore and undercut Poile's subject matter, and he captivates with texture and sound. Although his work is informed by tradition, his language is grounded in the quotidian, setting up a fruitful dialog between past and present. There are no rules when it comes to making a poem that sings and shimmers.
About the AuthorCraig Poile grew up in New Brunswick. He earned degrees in journalism and English literature at Carleton University in Ottawa, where he now lives. He works as a technical writer, has been active as a playwright and theatre producer, and co-owns Collected Works Bookstore. His first book of poetry, First Crack, was shortlisted for the 1999 Gerald Lampert Memorial Award. He and his partner Christopher have two children, Lily and Samantha.
AwardsWinner of Ottawa Book Award, English Fiction 2010 (Canada) and Archibald Lampman Poetry Award 2010 (Canada).
Book InformationISBN 9780864925305
Author Craig PoileFormat Paperback
Page Count 76
Imprint Goose Lane EditionsPublisher Goose Lane Editions
Weight(grams) 104g
Dimensions(mm) 215mm * 139mm * 6mm