City

by Brian Lennon

How do we come to know a place, and in seeking to know it do we make it foreign from ourselves? Do we tackle it from other perspectives--the excavator, the traveler, the observant witness? Can we know a place without the blur of our identity, or does the attempt to extricate ourselves from the external lead only deeper? Brian Lennon seeks such knowledge in this rare and revolutionary work that blends poetry with narrative, ethnography with autobiography, and philosophy with literature. " An Essay" begins and ends with meditations on place, the first an unusual and intriguing excavation of the underground depths and history of New York City and the conclusion a travelogue of Italy that reads like snapshots. But place comes to reside somewhere within the landscape of the imagination. Though classified as creative nonfiction, "City" is an open genre piece that reads with the rhythm and beauty of poetry. Despite its sometimes philosophical core, occasionally pausing to ponder Kierkegaardian dilemmas, it maintains linguistic grace and self-reflexivity. City is a unique and unmatched experimental work by an emerging and sophisticated writer who is paving exciting new aesthetic and theoretical roads.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Liz Scheid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy cow! This is a rare gem. I'm in love with this book. I find myself wanting to savor every word, sentence, etc. You must read this in bed while eating junior mints.

[nonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a class and was simply fascinated about his use of the essay, or actually, his deconstruction of it into the poetic form. I adore reading pieces that are so rich with imagery you can craft the line by line your mind.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good poetry/nonfiction hybrid

[Efad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lennon begins with force and beauty. With the passing of pages, his lyricism scatters and words lie like leaves on an autumn ground.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing.