The 52nd Poem

by Thomas Trofimuk

After an illicit affair, a man decides to send a poem a week to his former lover, even as he begins a new relationship. As the man’s new affair progresses, the poems to his old lover continue, until finally, he must send the last poem. But will he? Who will win the battle for his heart, the woman of the past or the woman of the present?

Genres: Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2002

About the author

• As a writer, he’s published poetry, short-fiction, and novels.
• His first novel, The 52nd Poem, explores the remnants of a love affair as a man sends a poem a week to his lover over the period of a year. The book went on to win a few awards including the 2003 Alberta Novel of the Year and the City of Edmonton Book Prize.
• A second novel, Doubting Yourself to the Bone, is set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and has received high praise from critics – including being named as one of the top 100 must read books for 2006 by the Globe & Mail.
• In 2009, Thomas’ third novel, Waiting for Columbus, burst onto the international stage, with a Canadian (McClelland & Stewart) and US (Knopf-Doubleday) release. In 2010, the book was released in the UK (Picador), and was published in Serbia, Brazil, Poland, China, and Quebec. The book was also released as an audio book. Waiting for Columbus won the City of Edmonton Book Prize, was a nominee for the 2011 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, it was a Richard and Judy Book Club (UK) pick for fall 2010 and was picked as one of Richard and Judy’s 100 Books of the decade.
• Waiting for Columbus has been optioned for film. Rumours are swirling right now about the possibility of Nicholas Cage playing “Columbus” in the movie.
• This is All a Lie, his fourth (published) novel, gathered stellar reviews across Canada, including a starred review in Quill & Quire, and being named as a top 100 book of 2017 in the National Post.
• Trofimuk is a founding father of Edmonton’s Raving Poets movement, which was an open-stage poetry event held in a bar, with the poets backed up by the Raving Poets Band. He played piano (badly but with gusto) in the Raving Poets band.
• He is a frequent teacher at YouthWrite (http://www.youthwrite.com/), a camp for kids who love to write, and he sits on the board of the YouthWrite Society Canada.
• He also irregularly blogs on his website: “Writer, Gardener, Failed Buddhist.” (www.thomastrofimuk.com)
• Trofimuk has recently taken up kayaking. He loves maps, and charts. He really likes new sheets. He’s a huge fan of single malt whisky. He has been known to smoke cigars. If you offer him wine, he’ll very likely accept.
• He was a “dance dad,” which means he knows more about dance than he ever thought he’d know, and he did a lot of driving back and forth from Shelly’s Dance Studio. He has grown to love dance, and in fact, there’s a dancer in the latest novel, called The Elephant on Karlův Bridge.
• The Elephant on Karlův Bridge, set in Prague, Czech Republic, in which a five-ton African elephant is one of the main characters, is slated for an August 15, 2022 release.

Here's a short and sweet version:

Thomas Trofimuk is a writer of poetry and fiction. He’s published in literary magazines across the country, and on CBC radio. His first novel, The 52nd Poem won the George Bugnet Novel of the Year Award and the City of Edmonton Book Prize at the 2003 Alberta Book Awards. His second novel, the critically acclaimed Doubting Yourself to the Bone, was named as one of the Globe and Mail’s top 100 must-read books for 2006. His third book, Waiting for Columbus, was released in August 2009 in the US, Canada, the UK, Serbia, Poland, Brazil, China and Quebec. Waiting for Columbus won the City of Edmonton Book Prize, was a nominee for the 2011 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, it was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick for fall 2010 and was picked as one of Richard and Judy’s 100 Books of the decade. A fourth novel, This is All a Lie was released in 2017 to critical acclaim. The Elephant on Karlův Bridge is set to be released Aug, 2022. Thomas writes on a regular basis for his own website; “writer, gardener, failed Buddhist” at www.thomastrofimuk.com. He lives (and writes) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Reviews

[Theo S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book on a whim and it has become one of my favourites. The insight into life, living, love and connection is mesmerizing. And the way the narration ebbs and flows between prose and poetry is striking. Definitely worth the read.

[Steven Buechler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being sensitive and creative in this world has its benefits but being sensitive and creative and falling out of love is a massive and painful undertaking. But the struggle of emotions of such an individual can make for great reading. And The 52nd Poem by Thomas Trofimuk is such a book.

Page 14
Love is love, you might believe. Place and time are unimportant when it comes to love. But the land is very important to this story. Whether it's for the sake of metaphor, or flavour, or the sense of vastness or closeness, the land plays a role. And time, well, time is a little mixed up. Oh, it's not science fiction if that's what you're thinking. It's love. And it's a misaligned memory. But mostly, it's love.
In this story, the land is always in the corner of your eye. It vies for your attention. The landscape steals from the cerebral. You are in the mountains. Here is a landscape worthy of an intricate love. Mountains are a landscape where a huge love could almost pass unnoticed. It would have to be quite extraordinary to catch your attention. You could be looking up at that glacier, all elephantine and vast, and right behind you: Tristan and Isolde, or Romeo and Juliet. And you would suddenly feel rather odd. Is that your lunch? you might think. Maybe you've eaten something that's off. Maybe you're getting the flu. What the hell is that?

my complete review

[Ryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in the library two winters ago and happened by a table that was showcasing Edmonton authors. I picked up a copy of The 52nd Poem and was quite enticed to borrow it. I wandered down Jasper Avenue and found a nice little cafe; after ordering a latte, I opened the pages and fell in love.

This book is a romantic little bit of fiction - but I need to clarify - it is not a Harlequin style book. (I personally hate those!). However, it has some interesting little word pictures that I devoured like salt water taffy! I met Thomas at a book reading (for his new book - \'Doubting Yourself to the Bone\') and had him sign my copy (that\'s right... MY copy - I went out right after I finished the one from the library and bought my own to keep forever!).

I told Thomas at that time that he practically had me smoking cigars... he described his character in such a light that when he learned to choose and smoke a cigar - I was practically out the door on my way to the same smoke shop in Edmonton that he mentions in the book, to get a stoggie (is that what they are called??).

To me, that is the mark of a great author! If he can entice you to sin (hahaha) then he\'s written well. Well, no, not SIN ... but if he makes you want to be a part of the story for yourself and be the story... well, that\'s some darn good literature!