Own Face (Sun & Moon Classics)
Non-syntactic since his earliest, mid-1960s writing, Coolidge ( The Book of During ) in this new volume embraces what seems a more traditional narrative stance. But appearances are deceptive. "I look in that one kind of dwindled," one poem begins. Delighting in the odd alignment of words, laughing at his own jokes, Coolidge leads readers astray. A few more traditional poems, such as his lyrical description of a caveman's world, prove these diversions are intentional. Once safely past a few initial jolts, readers will find that these pieces begin to make sense cumulatively. Surprisingly, if one takes away the linguistic constructs, a simplistic, even didactic, philosophy surfaces. Coolidge strings maxims together with the wildest imagery imaginable, giving new life to tired phrases; "every turning stone I love" recalls the dictum to leave no stone unturned. Many pieces reveal a desire for the primitive--man at one with the elements. But Coolidge counters these impossible longings by superimposing man-made objects on the natural order: a gun on the nighttime countryside or a keyhole on a snow-filled landscape. Eclectic yet at times memorable, these poems deserve a patient reader.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.