Blessings for the Hands
Matthew Schwartz
แแแ. 2008 ยท University of Chicago Press
แแแฌแแแแ
72
แแแแ แแ
family_home
แแแกแแฆแแแ
info
reportแ แแแขแแแแแแ แแ แแแแแฎแแแแแแ แแแฃแแแกแขแฃแ แแแแแแ ย แจแแแขแงแแแ แแแขแ
แแ แแแฌแแแแแก แจแแกแแฎแแ
From The Sky Inside the Shaking Tree
What you feel
reveals you.
Watch
for the sustenance
inclined to a source,
enamored of singularity,
quickly here and quickly
gone, shadow from which
the body's courage comes.
Fireflies
apparently stumbling.
I slapped one on my leg.
Its blood glowed.
Blessings for the Hands follows various speakersโoften disabled speakers, who never once figure themselves as objects of complaint or self-pityโthrough the haunted dreamscape of โnormalcy.โ Indeed, dreams are continuous presences in this unusually subtle and elegant debut collection that juxtaposes physical circumstances with the vast interior life of the imagination. The subjects of Blessings for the Hands are real and imagined confrontationsโand reconciliationsโbetween family members, friends, strangers, and animals. Matthew Schwartzโs quasi-autobiographical verse complicates and clarifies the emotions waiting just underneath the patterns and expectations of the speakersโ daylight lives, where anger, joy, corporeality, and mortality all seem to collide. For Schwartz, poetry is a sleight of hand that keeps the reader guessing through nearly imperceptible shifts between present vision and absent reality. Blessings for the Hands is a lyric reckoning of the tension between the life we are given and the life we are determined to lead.
โBlessings for the Hands is emotionally strong and imaginatively wild, distinctive, deeply moving, without an ort of self-pity, and pervaded by โcompassion down to your fingertipsโ (which Chekhov said is โthe only methodโ both to write and to live). This angle of vision is sharp enough to unify much disparate material. The poems are clear and musical and consequently a pleasure to read and reread despite their gravity. I think this may be lasting work.โโMichael Ryan
What you feel
reveals you.
Watch
for the sustenance
inclined to a source,
enamored of singularity,
quickly here and quickly
gone, shadow from which
the body's courage comes.
Fireflies
apparently stumbling.
I slapped one on my leg.
Its blood glowed.
Blessings for the Hands follows various speakersโoften disabled speakers, who never once figure themselves as objects of complaint or self-pityโthrough the haunted dreamscape of โnormalcy.โ Indeed, dreams are continuous presences in this unusually subtle and elegant debut collection that juxtaposes physical circumstances with the vast interior life of the imagination. The subjects of Blessings for the Hands are real and imagined confrontationsโand reconciliationsโbetween family members, friends, strangers, and animals. Matthew Schwartzโs quasi-autobiographical verse complicates and clarifies the emotions waiting just underneath the patterns and expectations of the speakersโ daylight lives, where anger, joy, corporeality, and mortality all seem to collide. For Schwartz, poetry is a sleight of hand that keeps the reader guessing through nearly imperceptible shifts between present vision and absent reality. Blessings for the Hands is a lyric reckoning of the tension between the life we are given and the life we are determined to lead.
โBlessings for the Hands is emotionally strong and imaginatively wild, distinctive, deeply moving, without an ort of self-pity, and pervaded by โcompassion down to your fingertipsโ (which Chekhov said is โthe only methodโ both to write and to live). This angle of vision is sharp enough to unify much disparate material. The poems are clear and musical and consequently a pleasure to read and reread despite their gravity. I think this may be lasting work.โโMichael Ryan
แแแขแแ แแก แจแแกแแฎแแ
Matthew Schwartz is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn, New York. He is the recipient of awards from the Academy of American Poets and the International Institute of Modern Letters.
แจแแแคแแกแแ แแก แแแฌแแแแ
แแแแแฎแแ แแ แแฅแแแแ แแแ แ.
แแแคแแ แแแชแแ แฌแแแแแฎแแแกแแแ แแแแแแจแแ แแแแ
แกแแแ แขแคแแแแแ แแ แขแแแแแขแแแ
แแแแแแกแขแแแแ แแ Google Play Books แแแ Android แแ iPad/iPhone แแแฌแงแแแแแแแแแแกแแแแก. แแก แแแขแแแแขแฃแ แแ แแแแแฎแแ แชแแแแแแก แกแแแฅแ แแแแแแชแแแก แแฅแแแแก แแแแแ แแจแแแ แแ แกแแจแฃแแแแแแก แแแแชแแแ, แฌแแแแแแฎแแ แกแแกแฃแ แแแแ แแแแขแแแขแ แแแแแกแแแแ แแแแแแแก, แ แแแแ แช แแแแแแ, แแกแ แฎแแแแแ แแจแ แ แแแแแจแ.
แแแแขแแแแแ แแ แแแแแแฃแขแแ แแแ
Google Play-แจแ แจแแซแแแแแ แแฃแแแแฌแแแแแแแก แแแกแแแแ แแฅแแแแ แแแแแแฃแขแแ แแก แแแ-แแ แแฃแแแ แแก แแแแแงแแแแแแ แจแแแแซแแแแ.
แแแฌแแแแแแฎแแแแแแ แแ แกแฎแแ แแแฌแงแแแแแแแแแ
แแแแฅแขแ แแแฃแแ แแแแแแก แแแฌแงแแแแแแแแแแ แฌแแกแแแแแฎแแ, แ แแแแ แแชแแ Kobo eReaders, แแฅแแแ แฃแแแ แฉแแแแขแแแ แแแ แคแแแแ แแ แแแแแแขแแแแ แแแ แแฅแแแแก แแแฌแงแแแแแแแแจแ. แแแฎแแแ แแแแก แชแแแขแ แแก แแแขแแแฃแ แ แแแกแขแ แฃแฅแชแแแแแก แแแฎแแแแแ แแแแแแขแแแแ แคแแแแแแ แแฎแแ แแแญแแ แแ แแแฌแแแแแแฎแแแแแแแ.
