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In This Thin Rain
In his first full-length poetry collection since 2004, Nelson Ball, Canada’s most renowned minimalist, offers up compressed meditations — ranging from the whimsical to the mournful — on clouds, birds, insects, trees live and dead, water-stained walls, crumbling windmills, and hyphenation. Ball’s poems are meticulously polished gems that move through the seasons, finding beauty and depth in the most banal and simple things.
On Nelson Ball’s Previous Books
“From his seat at the pond’s edge, the poet learns to hear the language of its elements, and then teaches the reader to do the same.” — Nita Pronovost, Matrix
“In At the Edge of the Frog Pond and outwards, words ring again, and lingering, re-affirm the import of the word in the world, and none of it is superfluous.” — Kemeny Babineau, Rampike
“The poems in Ball’s latest collection express, as so many of his earlier works do, keen observation of the natural world tightly wrought and sparsely told.” — Travis V. Mason, Canadian Literature
“Nelson Ball’s Almost Spring releases language that alters one’s perception of almost everything.” — Elizabeth Woods, 2000 Britannica Book of the Year
“At his best, Ball proves that short can be eloquent, and small beautiful.” — W. J. Keith, Canadian Book Review Annual
“Although he has worn glasses all the 40+ years that I have known him, there is nothing wrong with his vision.” — M. R. Appell, Tract
On Nelson Ball’s Previous Books
“From his seat at the pond’s edge, the poet learns to hear the language of its elements, and then teaches the reader to do the same.” — Nita Pronovost, Matrix
“In At the Edge of the Frog Pond and outwards, words ring again, and lingering, re-affirm the import of the word in the world, and none of it is superfluous.” — Kemeny Babineau, Rampike
“The poems in Ball’s latest collection express, as so many of his earlier works do, keen observation of the natural world tightly wrought and sparsely told.” — Travis V. Mason, Canadian Literature
“Nelson Ball’s Almost Spring releases language that alters one’s perception of almost everything.” — Elizabeth Woods, 2000 Britannica Book of the Year
“At his best, Ball proves that short can be eloquent, and small beautiful.” — W. J. Keith, Canadian Book Review Annual
“Although he has worn glasses all the 40+ years that I have known him, there is nothing wrong with his vision.” — M. R. Appell, Tract
- GenresPoetry
80 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 28, 2022
startled
it fell
off
the wall
startling
me
* * *
One end
of a very long train
is leaving Paris
while the other end
hasn't
arrived
* * *
On this hot day
I feel languid
watching
the south wind
bend
grasses
towards an
oncoming storm
* * *
Wavering grasses
bend northward
clouds go dark
rolling, turning
mixing, motion
without rest
generating
dark colours
* * *
roadside
oadsider
adsidero
dsideroa
sideroad
ideroads
deroadsi
eroadsid
roadside
* * *
February
thaw
small
piece of ice
bits
of wood
rush
by
large
ice slabs
lodge
among
shorelines
trees
it fell
off
the wall
startling
me
- Centipede at Midnight, pg. 16
* * *
One end
of a very long train
is leaving Paris
while the other end
hasn't
arrived
- Relativity, pg. 18
* * *
On this hot day
I feel languid
watching
the south wind
bend
grasses
towards an
oncoming storm
- Idleness, pg. 33
* * *
Wavering grasses
bend northward
clouds go dark
rolling, turning
mixing, motion
without rest
generating
dark colours
- Storm Warning, pg. 41
* * *
roadside
oadsider
adsidero
dsideroa
sideroad
ideroads
deroadsi
eroadsid
roadside
- Ider Oads Or Side Winder, pg. 59
* * *
February
thaw
small
piece of ice
bits
of wood
rush
by
large
ice slabs
lodge
among
shorelines
trees
- On the Grand River, pg. 77
August 20, 2019
Stuart Ross mentioned the passing of Nelson Ball late last week, and I checked out this book from my library shortly thereafter. Meditative, quiet poems that make me want to sit on a porch and observe the progress of the day. A beautiful, tranquil collection. RIP.
August 1, 2013
See review on readthisvictoria.blogspot.com
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews