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Burn the Field
Cockfights, a prophetic turnip, the "pharmack mysteries" of antidepressants . . . in this book the natural world looms as a potent and nearly conscious metaphor for desire, transcendence and loss. The power in these poems comes from a persistently idiosyncratic combination of subject, language and the dark emotion energy of the subjects―illness, witch trials, lost children―the lush, urgent language, and the exacting, wry, relentlessly unsentimental tone.
- GenresPoetry
72 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2006
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21 people want to read
About the author
Amy Beeder
6 books7 followersb. 1964
A former human rights observer in Haiti and Suriname, and a high school teacher in West Africa, Amy Beeder balances an ear for meter with an often ominous tone, creating a musical, at times mythical, exploration of how we construct beauty and strangeness. Critic Sandra Gilbert declared that Burn the Field (2006) “constitutes an impressive debut for a writer who reveres the heft, texture, and taste of words.”
Writing in the journal West Branch, Sarah Kennedy described Beeder’s book as one that “examines the fragility of the mortal body” through “allusive, ekphrastic poems” that have a traditional bent. Kennedy noted that while “sickness and death are … recurrent themes” in Burn the Field, the “counterthrust of Beeder’s musical rhythms and striking imagery suggest that her project is to make beautiful metaphor of our dangerous world.”
Beeder’s honors include a 2001 “Discovery”/The Nation Award, a Bread Loaf Scholarship, and an award from the Emerging Writers Network. Her poems have appeared in AGNI, American Letters & Commentary, Black Warrior Review, The Nation, Poetry, and Puerto del Sol. She has taught at the University of New Mexico and the Taos Summer Writers’ Conference and has served as an editor for Blue Mesa Review.
(from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/a...)
A former human rights observer in Haiti and Suriname, and a high school teacher in West Africa, Amy Beeder balances an ear for meter with an often ominous tone, creating a musical, at times mythical, exploration of how we construct beauty and strangeness. Critic Sandra Gilbert declared that Burn the Field (2006) “constitutes an impressive debut for a writer who reveres the heft, texture, and taste of words.”
Writing in the journal West Branch, Sarah Kennedy described Beeder’s book as one that “examines the fragility of the mortal body” through “allusive, ekphrastic poems” that have a traditional bent. Kennedy noted that while “sickness and death are … recurrent themes” in Burn the Field, the “counterthrust of Beeder’s musical rhythms and striking imagery suggest that her project is to make beautiful metaphor of our dangerous world.”
Beeder’s honors include a 2001 “Discovery”/The Nation Award, a Bread Loaf Scholarship, and an award from the Emerging Writers Network. Her poems have appeared in AGNI, American Letters & Commentary, Black Warrior Review, The Nation, Poetry, and Puerto del Sol. She has taught at the University of New Mexico and the Taos Summer Writers’ Conference and has served as an editor for Blue Mesa Review.
(from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/a...)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 2, 2013
I first discovered Beeder's poems in Poetry magazine and adore both her books. Her poems are exciting and engaging, both expertly crafted and enormous fun to read. For an example check out her Captain Haddock vs the PTA on Poetry's webpage.
February 8, 2015
Most of these poems really resonated with me-some of my favorites are the ones about The Wizard of Oz, Hangman, Botany Notes, Cotton & Turnip and Blanca. Great stuff-would love to read more of her work.
February 1, 2016
Gorgeous book of off-beat, oddly lyrical and breath-taking poems. Loved every moment of it and enjoyed sharing the experience by reading it aloud to my husband. :)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews