The Conversation

by Stephanie Norgate

In The Conversation, Stephanie Norgate explores relationships between nature and the city, the past and present and character and writer. Shaped through both speech and storytelling, these visual, sensuous and imaginative poems celebrate friendship, even in grief, closeness in times of isolation and lockdown, and the longing to bridge gaps and find cures. Miracles are found in the everyday, in a child’s sleep or a lit-up house. Textiles transform into remembrancers, landscape into emotion. A contemporary Daedalus views his life from a hang-glider. A scrap of handwriting, cafe talk, an exploding car, an earthquake, the naming of fields or a line of walkers ignite conversations about place, time and the tender paradoxes of mortality. Stephanie Norgate’s first collection Hidden River (2008) was shortlisted for both the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and the Jerwood Aldeburgh First Collection Prize, and was followed by The Blue Den (2012). The Conversation is her third collection. Her poetry has been praised for the ‘depth of its lyricism’ (Jackie Wills, Warwick Review), and for being ‘energetic and generous, and displaying a ‘feeling for place, for the roots of things’ and for being ‘searching, memorable and disconcerting … She has the ear for the music of a line and the shape and strength of an image.’ (R.V. Bailey, Artemis).

Genres: Poetry

64 pages, Paperback

Published October 26, 2021

Reviews

[Caitlin Theroux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone and may not reflect the views of the author, publisher, or distributor.

As much as I continue to tell myself that I love poetry...I'm starting to suspect that my nose for it is pickier than I thought. The abstract nature of poetry plays toward my ADHD pretty well. I love to chew on words and make them form unlikely pictures in my head.

Norgate's poetry is okay. I mean, I'm definitely no expert, but some of the poems--like "Jane Austen's Visitor"--left me scratching my head. I could very well be missing something, but I think the point stands.

So while this little collection was interesting, I don't think I'd add to it my personal shelves.