Cyrus Cassells' fourth volume of poetry is an elegiac "book of
heroes," a lyric homage to the "artistic fathers" who taught him
"the truth-or-bust beauty of passion transformed / into sheer
compassion."
In the wake of his father's death, Cassells returned to Italy,
France and Spain, countries that nurtured him as a young writer, to
investigate the sources of his inspiration. Vincent Van Gogh,
Cesare Pavese, Eugenio Montale, Attilio and Bernardo Bertolucci,
and GarcA-a Lorca are among those invoked and revisited in order to
brace Cassells through his mourning, and to serve as touchstones in
his search for the meaning of gallantry and quest for courage and
expression.
Throughout his travels-and especially while contemplating
flamenco culture-Cassells experiences the juxtaposition of mourning
with unanticipated gusts of love and eroticism. Lush
Andalusian-based poems emphasize the present's power for surprise
and renewal, while his elegies are ecstatic, erotic and sometimes
comic. Questing and elemental, elegantly lyrical, "More Than Peace
and Cypresses" arcs beyond grief to celebrate the fleeting majesty
of our lives.
From "Way of the Duende":
"The day mind gone, Lord,
and all the stringencies,
the day's bright yokes, the day's heavy
bridles of status:
flamenco as an impassioned
celebration of night,
of duende, of mystery's
warrens and arabesques"-"
Romans, Carthaginians, phantom
Moors wander through the redemptive,
incantatory dancing"-
Cyrus Cassells' previous books have earned the William Carlos
Williams award, a Lambda Book Award, and a selection as "Best of
the Year" by "Publishers Weekly." He teaches at Southwest Texas
State University and lives in Austin, Texas.
General
Imprint: |
Copper Canyon Press,U.S.
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
October 2004 |
First published: |
October 2004 |
Authors: |
Cyrus Cassells
|
Dimensions: |
228 x 139 x 11mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
144 |
Edition: |
New |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-55659-214-0 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-55659-214-0 |
Barcode: |
9781556592140 |
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