Sidereal

by Rachael Boast

Rachael Boast's first collection is dominated by astral influence and divine chance, by unseen or remote causes; but despite its celestial title, Sidereal is full of terrestrial concerns, the traffic and chaos of the human and natural worlds. Ultimately, however, it is the work of a poet who believes that we must also turn our gaze skywards to make sense of who we are, and these poems pursue their elliptical but inevitable orbits through a world where the earthly and transcendent are thoroughly interfused. Above all, Sidereal impresses through Boast's lyric faith, which through even the worst pain and despair can still offer its clarities and revelations, and announces an important new voice in British poetry.

Genres: Poetry

78 pages, Paperback

First published June 16, 2011

Reviews

[Caspar "moved to storygraph" Bryant]

RB's debut and nonetheless just as sharp as one may expect from her it's astonishing that it is a debut really she keeps the pace she keeps the bangers & while Cocteau is here less than one may be accustomed with her it's entirely recognisable and deft in developing very subtle motifs throughout. What more is to say than entirely worth the time -

[Emma Filtness · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful collection, bursting with forests and stars, earth and sky. The Tentsmuir sequence is particularly haunting with its quiet contemplation of a writer in a stunning landscape that reflects their inner world. There are some wonderfully original similes throughout, such as "the road here is purposeful, / must be taken like medicine".

[Jake OrdWillcocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was astoundingly good

[Juliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachael Boast's 'Sidereal', her first collection, divine and starry; in terms of quality, it's better than 'Pilgrim's Flower' but still not as good as 'Void Studies'. I really hope you'll read Boast's poetry if you're reading this now; 'The Extra Mile' from this collection was especially good.

[Joe Avary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accessible, entertaining, and easy to read... I really enjoyed this collection and can see why it would win all those bloody awards

[Cooch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars

This is a strong first volume. A mixture of good, very good and excellent poems. Very assured for a first book. Great title which fits the poetry

[Gail McConnell]

There is no other place from which empathy
can begin but in negative space.
And perhaps that's what it means
to go the extra mile,
to get the right amount of distance

between how you started out
and where you arrive. Driving back
from the airport, she started thinking aloud,
wondering if the reason Blake gave Behemoth
such a remarkably human ear was to say:

only we know creation is a brilliant atrocity.
Yes, Job replies, glancing in the wing mirror,
the point being, when we remember this, something'll give -
time, most likely - a torn veil which uneclipses
the heavenly bodies, cures the navel gaze.

From 'The Extra Mile'.

Rachael Boast, Sidereal (London: Picador, 2011), 31.

[Ben Dutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly impressive debut, Rachael Boast's Sidereal rewards emotionally and intellectually. Her poetry is epic in scope - lunar landscapes of Iceland, the wilderness of Scotland - yet connects it to the intimate though personal observations, often telling in their detail. Boast clearly has a career ahead of her, and Sidereal comes highly recommended.

[Kemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Human Telescope
So thank god for a district where shadows/ loomed larger than your own desires

Other favorites include:
Moonlight on the Dial of the Day
View of the the Gorge from the Avon
Blind Date
Downtime
Void of Course
Tentsmuir V
Frog Genesis
Ephemeris

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Favourites were:
Frosted Fields,
A View Of Christ In The House Of Martha And Mary,
Tentsmuir,
Sandpipers