Thumbprints: an anthology of hitchhiking poems

by Doug Fetherling

Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Mark Lisac · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a historical artifact now than a collection of still engaging poetry, this anthology nevertheless captures a moment in Canadian literature and society, especially the late 1960s. Fetherling's introduction is especially redolent of the times. The poems themselves cover the ground between arresting, vivid, pretentious, vapid, obscure, ambitious, and miniature. It's interesting to see how some immediately grab attention through the poets' use of words. I guess that's a matter of taste. It's a lesson in literary humility to see how some good poets of the time (like John Newlove) are no longer household names, and how others, both strong writers and weaker ones, must have had some following at the time but now are so obscure that it's difficult even to find information about them on the internet.