Stilt Jack

by John Thompson

The much-loved, yet undervalued, final book of poems by British-Canadian poet John Thompson, is reissued in a handsome edition, featuring a new introduction by Rob Winger. Originally published in 1978, Stilt Jack is a series of powerful soliloquies on the complexity of love and the process of living. These are made immediate through Thompson’s command of metaphor, his eye for the New Brunswick landscape, his intense, often elliptical way of transfiguring everyday things into shorthand symbols of reality. This remarkable sequence of poems is based on the ghazal , an ancient Persian poetic form which is discussed in Thompson’s introduction to the original edition of the book. These poems more than fulfill the promise of Thompson’s first collection, At the Edge of the Chopping There Are No Secrets . Stilt Jack is the last testament of a major poet at the pinnacle of his craft.

Genres: Poetry

Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Born in the Midlands during the 1930’s, then brought up from modest beginnings in the South of England, the author was shocked to discover at the age of 43, during a divorce and custody battle for his children, that he was adopted at birth. He decided to search for his natural parents, which led to an entirely new and wealthy family with an inspiring 700 year old history. The next thirty years were an incredible journey covering every emotion from excitement, joy, sadness and despair, including an extraordinary number of unusual coincidences and a series of lucky breaks.
Before his retirement he pursued a stimulating career as a chartered civil engineer, managing multi-million pound projects in the UK. A keen sportsman all his life, he is also passionate about travelling, history, music, and meeting people.

Reviews

[Care · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some nice lines but nothing memorable. Interesting format but never enough substance before the poet moved on.

[August Bourré · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god. This was just glorious. I had no idea the ghazal could do that.