Story of a poem : a memoir

Story of a poem A memoir

Matthew Zapruder, 1967-

Book - 2023

Matthew Zapruder had an idea: to write a poem as slowly and intentionally as possible, to preserve its drafts, and record the painstaking, elusively transcendent stuff of its construction. It would be the end cap to a new collection of poetry, and a means to process modern American life in a time of political turmoil, mega fires, and sobriety. What Zapruder didn't anticipate was that this literary project would reveal a deeply personal aspect as well: a way to resolve the unexplored pain and unexpected joys he was confronting in the wake of his son's diagnosis with autism. The result is a remarkable piece of writing, one that explores not just what it means to be a poet and father, but also what it means to be alive on this planet... during this turbulent and extraordinary time. By comparing the writing of a poem with his own tangled evolution as a son, husband and father, Zapruder unfolds moments of his own life in the reflection of an increasingly uncanny world. With a wide range of reference points-- from Celan, Li Bai and Frank O'Hara to Whitman, Merwin and Rupi Kaur--we join Zapruder on a poet's journey; that in some alchemy of literature, becomes a journey of our own.

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Subjects
Zapruder, Matthew, > 1967-
Poets, American > Biography.
American poetry > History and criticism.
American poetry.
Poets, American.
Biographies.
Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Genres
Biographies
Criticism, interpretation, etc
Published
Los Angeles, CA : The Unnamed Press 2023.
Language
English
Main Author
Matthew Zapruder, 1967- (author)
Physical Description
207 pages : illustrations ; 22 cmcm
ISBN
9781951213688
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

"Isn't it a privilege," a student prods, "to write poems when the world is burning?" Zapruder's response is a knee-jerk admission that yes, of course it is. While the poet goes on to temper his instinctive response with a desire to shelter the flame of creativity in a darkening world, it's still a difficult question, especially since, at one point in this thoughtful, strikingly candid memoir, the poet sports an N95 mask and clears ash from California wildfires off the windshield of his car. Equal parts autobiography and a behind-the-scenes look into poetic processes, the book is replete with references to influential poets, such as W. H. Auden, Federico Garcia Lorca, and Wallace Stevens. Most captivating are Zapruder's frankness and vulnerability in grappling with big life changes, such as his son's diagnosis with autism as well as his own struggles with alcohol, disturbingly narrated in the third person: "He was turning in very small circles within an ominous whirlpool." A title of interest to poets and creative writers that also extends a lifeline to anyone floating through this strange, uncertain century.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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