canvas: poems
by James MoreheadPublish: Jun 15, 2021PoetryBook Overview
"James Morehead's Canvas opens itself to the poetry of everyday life, where stanzas are etched in sand, and poems end in sunset. Combining micro-narratives of Boston bullies cornering a young boy, with minute descriptions of time in quarantine, it draws us into moving tableaus of tenacious attention to what went down, what might come up, and where we might find ourselves. These are poems to be savored, re-read, kept handy for those times when only poetry will do."‒ W. J. T. MITCHELL, Senior Editor of Critical Inquiry and Gaylord Donnelley Distinguished Service Professor, English and Art History, University of ChicagoIn his debut collection, James Morehead paints powerful images of life, love, and loss through the thoughtful selection and careful placement of words. "canvas" features the extraordinary art of Kari Byron and Alla Tsank. The year 2020 and its pandemic-induced solitude inspired the poems that lead this collection. Most are autobiographical, in particular the title poem “canvas,” and collectively form a fragmented memoir of memories and melancholy. Some are fanciful, like “tethered,” inspired by a fleeting image seen while hiking the Pacific coastline. All strive to paint images in the reader’s mind through the power of poetry.
“James creates an enchanting melody of poetic sound for the reader page after page. He notices life’s details with a tender yet precise eye, down to the ‘streets glistening with midnight rain’ and ‘summer bursting outwards / fierce from its slumber.’ Using this keen observation, James breaks past life’s routines to uncover gems of beauty. To read Canvas is to be transported to a world infused with meaning and memory.” - Morgan Liphart, author of Barefoot and Running
