Lawrence Joseph (2) (1948–)

I was attracted to this book because it has impressions of Detroit. And when I read it, I could put myself back in Detroit, where I lived for 18 years. These may not be meaningful to everyone, but something clicked when I read "I note in a Notebook" this: ... A figure, in the factory / behind the Jefferson Avenue Assembly marking and filing the parts of the new model prototype / Chryslers... I worked with the bus company whose garage was in the shadow of this auto plant and can imagine the show more scene with Lawrence Joseph.
"Woodward Avenue" is the big street in Detroit, and the poem starts off calling it "The destination, the destiny, a street,/ an avenue." For us who lived there, it was the destiny of the city, even if withered at this point.
I also resonated with some lines in "In the Shape of Fate over my Father's Birth." I worked in pulbic transport in Detroit, and can well imagine hearing "The Trumbull streetcar screeched/ on the switch. The ratttling, old yellow Pwl Cars late at night..."
9/11 is to some degree is memorialized in "Why Not Say What Happens", "this cloud ... isn't only ash and soot", it's everything including fear and memory. show less

Deep, dark, thought provoking poetry. This is a great collection, but should be avoided if you're looking for peaceful light prose. This is a realistic poetic look at the current human political microcosm, portrayed in inter-connected poems. Illuminating albeit a bit depressing... Which describes the current earthly culture rather well.

I used to live close to a neighborhood in Detroit people who are of Chaldean Christian heritage. Although there was an inwardness among the Chaldeans, there was also a sense of striving for stability which Detroit needs and Joseph's poetry shows forth. My favorite poem in the book is: "So where were we? The fiery/ avalanche headed right at us -- "