NONFICTION

The Empty Form Goes All the Way

by Brian Teare
Ahsahta. 2015. 98p. ISBN 9781934103623. pap. $18. POETRY
COPY ISBN
As Lambda Award-winning and Kingsley Tufts finalist Teare explains in his preface, at the onset of a chronic illness he discovered the paintings and writings of Agnes Martin, and the austere beauty of her grid-guided art is reflected in the construction of these poems. The various spacings are elegantly balanced, with the columns of the many split-structured poems in dialog; bursts of language let us intuit rather than see his pain. Teare opens by citing "a form/ narrowed down to its final iteration," then explains, "I am speaking/ of illness and the critical situation it reveals," and we finally get it: art brings not relief but understanding.
VERDICT Demanding and brave.
Reviewed by Barbara Hoffert , Nov 15, 2015
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

MEDIA

The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams
by Frey, Darcy
NONFICTION

The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture
by Lemmey, Karen & others
NONFICTION

A Guide to Medical Cannabis: Your Roadmap to Understanding and Using Cannabis and CBD for Health
by Hasse, Javier & Nicolás Jose Rodriguez
NONFICTION

One Thousand Vines: A New Way To Understand Wine
by Lepeltier, Pascaline
NONFICTION

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2024
by McKibben, Bill & Jaime Green
NONFICTION

Hungry Beautiful Animals: The Joyful Case for Going Vegan
by Halteman, Matthew C.
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?