NONFICTION

Underground: New and Selected Poems

by Jim Moore
Graywolf. 2014. 296p. ISBN 9781555976873. pap. $20. POETRY
COPY ISBN
Including the best work from six collections (e.g., Invisible Strings, Lightning at Dinner) along with new poems, this volume makes it clear that while Moore may have experimented with length throughout his career (each of his books contains sprinklings of brief poems that read like reworked Kobayashi Issa), he has not drastically altered his raison d'etre. Like C.K. Williams (who, not surprisingly, provided a blurb), Moore's obsession is a slippery reaching for, though never grasping, a kind of reverence. Moore has tried for decades to describe observations "at a slant," as Emily Dickinson wrote, a compulsion this collection allows us to see running through his oeuvre, from 1975 ("I read aloud, pausing for rain") to 2005 ("Do you think it's easy,/ not biting/ the one you love?") and beyond.
VERDICT Moore's most recent poetry differs from his older pieces only in that it contains a greater frequency of sharp bits, as in "Pompeii" from Lightning at Dinner: "The son gives his mother the lily,/ then runs away, as if/ afraid he will get caught/ loving someone that much." A useful overview.
Reviewed by Stephen Morrow, Hilliard, OH , Nov 01, 2014
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 

NONFICTION

Rogues and Scholars: A History of the London Art World: 1945–2000
by Stourton, James
NONFICTION

Nora Ephron at the Movies: A Visual Celebration of the Writer and Director Behind When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and More
by Kaplan, Ilana
NONFICTION

A Whole Life in Twelve Movies: A Cinematic Journey to a Deeper Spirituality
by Norris, Kathleen & Gareth Higgins
NONFICTION

Women Writing Musicals: The Legacy That the History Books Left Out
by Tepper, Jennifer Ashley
NONFICTION

Ida Lupino, Forgotten Auteur: From Film Noir to the Director’s Chair
by Seros, Alexandra
NONFICTION

Made in NuYoRico: Fania Records, Latin Music, and Salsa’s Nuyorican Meanings
by Negrón, Marisol
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?