Review In Poetry London

Another review of The Opposite of Cabbage has just been published, this one by George Szirtes in Poetry London, issue 63 (summer 2009). It’s only available in print.

I’ve been very pleased with all the reviews the book has had so far, including this one. In fact, I’m well aware that I’ve been lucky to get any reviews at all (let alone intelligent, thoughtful ones), given how little review space is given to poetry books these days.

GS actually reviews two other books along with mine: Emma Jones’s The Striped World (Faber & Faber), which I’d read with mixed feelings although I thought it was astonishingly good in places, and J.O. Morgan’s Natural Mechanical (CB Editions), which I’ve heard many good things about from people with taste – so yet another book I feel I really ought to read. A short extract from George Szirtes’s review of it is at the CB Editions blog.

During the review of my book, GS makes reference to Peter Porter’s work from the late-Sixties. I’m now quite interested to read some, as I’ve only read far more recent work by Porter – Max is Missing and Afterburner, both of which put me, at least, in mind of Wallace Stevens (one of my poetic heroes). I’ve heard his early stuff is quite different.