The Owl Question

by Faith Shearin, Mark Doty (Foreword)

The Owl Question underscores and relishes life's transitions -- from young girl to woman, from child to wife to mother, and from isolation to connection -- this poet's bright sense of abundance and awe, here expressed in finely tuned detail and refreshingly open observation, reads like a collective memory. Though private and closely held, these questionings are as familiar as our own souls, and in their transformation to poetry, Shearin has created the very "map" she wishes to guide her when she "can't learn the world fast enough."

Genres: Poetry

73 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

Faith Shearin is the author of six books of poetry. Her work has been frequently featured by Garrison Keillor on “The Writer’s Almanac.” She is the recipient of awards from The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, The Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work also appears in The Autumn House Anthology of Contemporary Poets and in Good Poems, American Places. She lives with her husband, her daughter, and a small, opinionated dachshund, in a cabin on top of a mountain in West Virginia.

Reviews

[Marne Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was Faith Shearin’s first book, and since I adore her more recent work, I wanted to see what her early work was like. These poems are not as polished as the later ones, but they are more interesting. It’s like she hadn’t yet found her voice and was trying on many different styles. I’m not sure why I bought a hardcover copy of this book, since it turns out it’s all online to read for free at https://muse.jhu.edu/book/9332. Give it a try. You’ve got nothing to lose!

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like this poet, and this is her first published collection. I've already read her book Moving the Piano, which had more poems in it that I liked. This book seems to focus more on motherhood and early relationships, which didn't appeal as much to me. Still, there are some good ones here, including:

Shopping
Fields
Frogs
Magic

[Emerson John Tiu Ng · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite poetry books. It's a bit playful, which a like. I've taught a few poems from this collection and they always go over well.

[Hayden Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book of poetry!

I enjoyed its exploration of love and parental connections.

It's fun to see a book of poems trace some kind of narrative connection through someone's life.

[Azeeza · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I wake up wondering: how will I fit all this life in one life? I need a map, a vocabulary list; I can’t learn the world.”