Synopses & Reviews
A new and resplendent collection by Linda Gregg, whose poems “have the elegance of Greek statuary and the good-humored poise of haiku” (Poetry)I finally fell in love with all of it:
dirt, silence, rock and far views.
Its strange that my heart is as full
now as my desire was then.
—from “Arriving Again and Again Without Noticing” In one poem in this emotional and spiritual collection, Linda Gregg asks, “It is clear why love / took me to the shore of death, / but why did it bring me back?” In the Middle Distance, Greggs sixth book, explores up to and beyond the crossroads of devastation and desire. There, she finds not only survival but also
salvation—hard-won, resilient, and meaningful.
This collection brings Greggs passion and intensity together with a new wisdom and vitality that is unmistakably original.
Review
“I have loved Linda Greggs poems since I first read them. They are original in the way that really matters: they speak clearly of their source. They are inseparable from the surprising, unrolling, eventful, pure current of their language, and they convey at once the pain of individual loss, a steady and utterly personal radiance.” —W. S. Merwin
Synopsis
A new and resplendent collection by Linda Gregg, whose poems "have the elegance of Greek statuary and the good-humored poise of haiku" ("Poetry")
"I finally fell in love with all of it:
dirt, silence, rock and far views.
It's strange that my heart is as full
now as my desire was then.
" --from "Arriving Again and Again Without Noticing" In one poem in this emotional and spiritual collection, Linda Gregg asks, "It is clear why love / took me to the shore of death, / but why did it bring me back?" "In the Middle Distance," Gregg's sixth book, explores up to and beyond the crossroads of devastation and desire. There, she finds not only survival but also
salvation--hard-won, resilient, and meaningful.
This collection brings Gregg's passion and intensity together with a new wisdom and vitality that is unmistakably original.A new and resplendent collection by Linda Gregg, whose poems "have the elegance of Greek statuary and the good-humored poise of haiku" ("Poetry")
"I finally fell in love with all of it:
dirt, silence, rock and far views.
It's strange that my heart is as full
now as my desire was then.
" --from "Arriving Again and Again Without Noticing" In one poem in this emotional and spiritual collection, Linda Gregg asks, "It is clear why love / took me to the shore of death, / but why did it bring me back?" "In the Middle Distance," Gregg's sixth book, explores up to and beyond the crossroads of devastation and desire. There, she finds not only survival but also
salvation--hard-won, resilient, and meaningful.
This collection brings Gregg's passion and intensity together with a new wisdom and vitality that is unmistakably original.
About the Author
Linda Gregg is the author of five previous poetry collections, including Things and Flesh and Too Bright to See & Alma. She lives in New York and teaches at Princeton University.