Minding the Darkness: A Poem for the Year 2000

by Peter Dale Scott

Minding the Darkness is the final volume of Peter Dale Scott's landmark trilogy, following Coming to Jakarta and Listening to the Candle. It brings to a stunning, triumphant conclusion a remarkable and sui generis poem. "There is nothing quite like these books", as the American Book Review "Scott's trilogy, only two-thirds completed as yet, is certain to be one of the most remarkable and challenging works of our time". The apogee of Scott's long hypnotic epic poem about the political and the personal, and their darkly powerful relationships, Minding the Darkness gathers extraordinary energy by way of its Poundian collage and tight three-line stanzas. With riveting images and eerie, accumulated juxtapositions, Minding the Darkness fully bears out James Laughlin's opinion that "Not since Robert Duncan's Groundwork and before that William Carlos Williams' Paterson, has New Directions published a long poem as important as Peter Dale Scott's".

Genres: Poetry

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last volume in Peter Dale Scott's poetic trilogy and in my mind it is the best. He explores what he calls Dark Politics, the dark underside of events. This is a masterpiece.

[mark mendoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

His best. Just check out the literally blistering opener.

[Jamey · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the balls and the learning of Ezra Pound, without the Fascism. In fact, Peter Dale Scott is one of the greatest anti-fascists walking the earth at the moment.