Ballet Lessons

by Garrett Buhl Robinson

- from the back cover - The Ballet and the Sonnet are two artistic forms that originated in the Italian Renaissance. In the meticulous techniques of these forms, artists have found a boundless potential for expression that poignantly and profoundly touches upon the essence of human nature. Garrett Buhl Robinson composed his first sonnet for ballet on the 25th of March 1998. Twenty-five years later, for his third book of poetry for dance, he presents 98 of his new sonnets celebrating the art of ballet.Through this cycle of sonnets, the strict metrics of the lyrical lines trace the precision of ballerinas' intricate steps, the poems' clean concision depicts the rigorous discipline of formal technique and the fluency of verse evokes the exhilaration of dance as the expressions transform through a myriad of metaphors to convey the majestic ways ballet moves through the world as the elegant dancers move through ballet. Foremost, the sonnets illustrate how the lessons of ballet can inspire and guide everyone as we all move through the demands of society and strive to liberate our lives with the grace of the enchanting dancers who have devoted themselves to master the excellence in the art of ballet.

144 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2023

About the author

On a cold February night in 1992, Garrett Buhl Robinson jumped on a coal train and embarked on a journey across North America. Over the span of a year, he hitchhiked the highways, rode the rails on freight trains and hiked 800 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Eventually, Garrett settled in Portland, Oregon where he completed his first novel in 2000. Upon finishing the novel and unsuccessfully marketing the book, he left for Alaska to work at a salmon cannery to pay the debts he had accumulated with various book clubs. His cherished volumes of Proust's In Search of Lost Time put him over the edge financially, but he never hesitates to endure hardship for the sake of beauty.

After two summers in Alaska, Garrett moved to San Francisco where he composed two collections of poetry. One of these collections is illustrated with his own abstract vignettes. He also completed his second novel, Zoë.

In 2011, Garrett moved to New York City to further his literary career. While supporting himself at various jobs, Garrett composed his third novel, Nunatak, based on his experiences working in Alaska, and a book length poem, Martha, celebrating his love for performance dance.

In 2012, he began marketing his books directly to the public. In Midtown Manhattan, along 5th Avenue, he is frequently found reciting his poetry and singing from his musical.

After publishing two more collections of poetry, flowing stone and Broken Open, Garrett made his Off-Broadway debut performing his musical, Letters to Zoey, at Theatre Row in New York City. The musical is his adaptation of his second novel, Zoë.