What do you think?
Rate this book
A Question of Gravity and Light
It is rare to find contemporary American poetry that speaks to readers with engaging directness, free of pretense or posturing. That is exactly the kind of poetry that Blas Falconer writes. In his first collection, Falconer presents 46 poems that are emotionally forthright and linguistically evocative but written without affectation or subterfuge. Although Falconer is formally trained and is aware of the structures and potential of both free verse and traditional poetic forms, he crafts exquisite, heartfelt poems that surprise us with their simple intensity.
Whether writing about the mysteries of childhood or the pleasures of cruising for gay sex in a metropolitan airport, he surprises us with the delicacy of his touch, never obvious or heavy-handed. As a gay man who embraces his Puerto Rican heritage, Falconer stands at an edge of American society, and there is the tension of borders in his borders between peoples and nations as well as the less visible, more porous and deceptive borders between family members and lovers. There is not one point of view in these poems but many. It is the quality of their observational power that binds them together. Whether the setting is the hospital room of his dying grandfather or his own backyard teeming with garrulous tree frogs, Falconer transports us to the scene. It is easy for us to imagine what he sees. And we care, deeply, just as he does.
Whether writing about the mysteries of childhood or the pleasures of cruising for gay sex in a metropolitan airport, he surprises us with the delicacy of his touch, never obvious or heavy-handed. As a gay man who embraces his Puerto Rican heritage, Falconer stands at an edge of American society, and there is the tension of borders in his borders between peoples and nations as well as the less visible, more porous and deceptive borders between family members and lovers. There is not one point of view in these poems but many. It is the quality of their observational power that binds them together. Whether the setting is the hospital room of his dying grandfather or his own backyard teeming with garrulous tree frogs, Falconer transports us to the scene. It is easy for us to imagine what he sees. And we care, deeply, just as he does.
- GenresPoetry
96 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2007
23 people want to read
About the author
Blas Falconer
18 books13 followersBlas Falconer teaches in the low-residency MFA program at Murray State University.
Falconer’s awards include a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award from Poets & Writers, a Tennessee Individual Artist Grant, the New Delta Review Eyster Prize for Poetry, and the Barthelme Fellowship.
Born and raised in Virginia, Falconer earned an M.F.A. from the University of Maryland (1997) and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Houston (2002). He currently lives in Los Angeles, California with his family.
Falconer’s awards include a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award from Poets & Writers, a Tennessee Individual Artist Grant, the New Delta Review Eyster Prize for Poetry, and the Barthelme Fellowship.
Born and raised in Virginia, Falconer earned an M.F.A. from the University of Maryland (1997) and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Houston (2002). He currently lives in Los Angeles, California with his family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Read
July 26, 2014Blas Falconer, who teaches Austin Peay, this year published a fine first book, * A Question of Gravity and Light*. Given the jacket copy’s praise for Falconer’s descriptive gifts, the book should attract many literary browsers.
But what genus of browsers? Aside from description, we learn in advance, Blas’s major strengths concern his “embrace” of both his gayness and his Puerto Rican heritage.
Some will say that such information increases our understanding of *A Question of Gravity and Light*. Others will argue that it ghettoizes Falconer and his poems. While this conundrum is impossible to explore with any sensitivity and complexity in such a short space, I think it’s fair to experience some discomfort at being nudged immediately toward the belief that the most notable--and even noble--aspect of Falconer’s works is its political subcontent, not its form or (sub)genre or other subject matters, his parents being among the most important.
The formal pieces vary in type and quality. A sestina which relies too heavily on overly strict adherence to the traditional pattern is *A Question of Gravity and Light* seems a rare mis-step. Thus perhaps it stands--so to speak--to reason that many of the book’s best works, like the lovely sonnet sequence “Dear Friend,” depends, in part, on gentling the rhymes and metrics.
Likewise, Falconer’s poems dealing with his sexuality and ethinicity are usually best when at their subtlest, and perhaps it’s no accident that these poems, too, often concern his parents. “To Know You Better” is a plangent elegy for the grandson son Falconer’s mother will never embrace; “What We Have” includes the father in its physical and emotional *mise en scene*, one of loss. Falconer’s ability to celebrate such moments is striking: “The faucet leaks./ He has this face, these hands, / each drop and the ghost of each drop.”
And now we have an excellent book of essays that Falconer co-edited: *Mentor and Muse: Essays from Poets to Poets*. My favorites thus far? Ralph Angel, Joelle Biele, Shara McCallum, Stanley Plumly, Jane Satterfield, and Michael Waters. But this must-read collection arrived at the beginning of an over-busy year, so I suspect this is a review to which I'll return and add more!
But what genus of browsers? Aside from description, we learn in advance, Blas’s major strengths concern his “embrace” of both his gayness and his Puerto Rican heritage.
Some will say that such information increases our understanding of *A Question of Gravity and Light*. Others will argue that it ghettoizes Falconer and his poems. While this conundrum is impossible to explore with any sensitivity and complexity in such a short space, I think it’s fair to experience some discomfort at being nudged immediately toward the belief that the most notable--and even noble--aspect of Falconer’s works is its political subcontent, not its form or (sub)genre or other subject matters, his parents being among the most important.
The formal pieces vary in type and quality. A sestina which relies too heavily on overly strict adherence to the traditional pattern is *A Question of Gravity and Light* seems a rare mis-step. Thus perhaps it stands--so to speak--to reason that many of the book’s best works, like the lovely sonnet sequence “Dear Friend,” depends, in part, on gentling the rhymes and metrics.
Likewise, Falconer’s poems dealing with his sexuality and ethinicity are usually best when at their subtlest, and perhaps it’s no accident that these poems, too, often concern his parents. “To Know You Better” is a plangent elegy for the grandson son Falconer’s mother will never embrace; “What We Have” includes the father in its physical and emotional *mise en scene*, one of loss. Falconer’s ability to celebrate such moments is striking: “The faucet leaks./ He has this face, these hands, / each drop and the ghost of each drop.”
And now we have an excellent book of essays that Falconer co-edited: *Mentor and Muse: Essays from Poets to Poets*. My favorites thus far? Ralph Angel, Joelle Biele, Shara McCallum, Stanley Plumly, Jane Satterfield, and Michael Waters. But this must-read collection arrived at the beginning of an over-busy year, so I suspect this is a review to which I'll return and add more!
February 25, 2011
A few (emphasis on the few as there are many more) of my favorite lines:
"Because in such cases apologies are useless / Because there is no room for blame in our lives."
"Behind me, my family held / their poses in their tiny frames, each of us a shade lighter than / our parents."
"They recognize your sway in my walk, / Mother, and their heads / are heavy with disappointment."
"The shoes are a lie."
"If soldiers held the highest ground, one stood here."
And then perhaps my favorite line:
"He wants it all or wants to fall asleep and wake up wanting less."
"Because in such cases apologies are useless / Because there is no room for blame in our lives."
"Behind me, my family held / their poses in their tiny frames, each of us a shade lighter than / our parents."
"They recognize your sway in my walk, / Mother, and their heads / are heavy with disappointment."
"The shoes are a lie."
"If soldiers held the highest ground, one stood here."
And then perhaps my favorite line:
"He wants it all or wants to fall asleep and wake up wanting less."
July 8, 2009
This is an incredible debut collection, full of soul. I enjoy how each poem is very different from the last, but yet still makes a cohesive whole. It's something that I'm working on. These poems are truly beautiful.
January 3, 2013
Blas is amazing. An amazing person, an amazing mentor, and a really smart poet. All the evidence you need can be found in his book. Reading it only makes me want to be better. My copy has a lot of highlighting and stars.
August 7, 2007
This is a fantastic debut collection from a rising young poet. These poems are earnest and far-reaching. Falconer writes with beautiful clarity and precision. Go buy a copy!!
July 24, 2013
I feel lucky to have found a new favorite poet. The images are so strong, the philosophy is real, observant, thoughtful.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews