Straddle

by David Cavanagh

The poems in Straddle, David Cavanagh’s fourth collection, explore the perils and possibilities in living on borders, both physical and psychic. They probe the inner/outer balance we all struggle to maintain. They straddle the challenges of daily life, try to reconcile contradictions, and find a measure of grace. Whether dealing with love, the environment, loss of loved ones, gun violence, relations between nations, or email from the Beyond, the poems brim with fresh language and clear vision.

65 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[World Literature Today]

"As the title suggests, Cavanagh’s poems often engage with themes of border crossing, but rather than academic and obtuse poems on the perennially trendy topic of liminality, he offers poems that are accessible in their concreteness and specificity. The theme is often expressed in poems about living in the very porous borderlands of French-speaking and English-speaking Canada. He also writes frequently about crossing back and forth across the US/Canadian border. . . . Cavanagh’s best poems achieve not only clarity but also a poignancy that derives from simple wisdom expressed with great vividness and grace." - Benjamin Myers, Oklahoma Baptist University

This book was reviewed in the November 2015 issue of World Literature Today. Read the full review by visiting our website: http://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2...