The Shadow of SiriusRecommendations
About the book
W.S. Merwin's latest collection of poetry is centered on the complex riddles of light, darkness, presence, and memory. Merwin acknowledges, "I have just what I recall," and his recollections are sharp and vivid—the unique properties of fall light, a talk with a childhood teacher, well-cultivated loves, and "our long evenings and wonder." Merwin depicts a scene in "Photographer" in which "someone who understood" saves armloads of vintage glass negatives from a dumpcart. Merwin conjures up a boy laying in bed at night, listening to the muffled dynamite explosions of coal mining outside his house in "Empty Lot," and we can't help but wonder: How shall we mine our lives?
