A Hermit's Guide to Home Economics

by Robert Lax, Paul Spaeth (Editor)

Three medium-length poems by America's forgotten hermit poet and master of concrete minimalism. Robert Lax’s Hermit’s Guide to Home Economics combines three long poems the poet composed on the Island of Patmos, where he lived a life separated from the rest of the world in the natural setting of that desert isle. Lax writes humorously about his “hermit” life, as if he were King Solomon doing a stand-up routine. But he also writes like a mystic whose surroundings speak to him, and uses the whole field of the page to explore the full potential of the word as image, and the poet as citizen.

Genres: Poetry

64 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

Robert Lax (30 November, 1915 in Olean, New York – 26 September, 2000 in Olean) was an American poet, known in particular for his association with Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton. Another friend of his youth was the painter Ad Reinhardt. After a long period of drifting from job to job about the world, Lax settled on the island of Patmos during the latter part of his life. Considered by some to be a self-exiled hermit, he nonetheless welcomed visitors to his home, but did nothing to court publicity or expand his literary career or reputation.

Reviews

[Cooper Renner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb! Just read it again several days ago (October 2018). A great way to meet Lax.

August 2025: first-rate. Perfect.

[Natalee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very odd collection of poems (if three poems do at all constitute a collection). Can’t say I enjoyed how experimental they were, but I can appreciate the strong sense of rhythm and the poet’s use of visual space. I think this worked strongest in the collection’s titular poem.

[Lucas Schmidt]

A good introduction to Robert Lax.

[Raven]

"live/
a/
lone/

move/
slow"

[stephanie roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

You say I should keep my sights low. I
know what you mean. I should keep
my sights low or someone will lower
them for me. I know what that means.
I'll keep my sights to myself. But I
won't keep them low. Not as low as
you'd like. I'd never be able to do that.
—Robert Lax from (The Citizen)

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breath taking, innovative and cohesive. I finished it in one train ride, right after I bought it. It definitely deserves a second and third read through.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to read this previously unpublished collection of three poems by Robert Lax.