Derive

by Bruna Mori

Poetry. Art. Features paintings by Matthew Kinney. Drawn by the New York cityscape and encounters found there, physical trajectories are mapped in words and sumi-ink. Poems depict a search for subjectivity in the urban sphere and are interspersed with paintings of architecture elusively dis/assembling on canvases. From Second Avenue to 207th Street, spanning mahjongg parlors and halfway houses, "the city and its inhabitants emerge as vastly various and yet inextricably bound to one another (le thi diem thuy)." "A deft poetic journey through the fissures and ironies of city life"--Norman Klein. "Bruna Mori creates a lyrical alchemy of the debris and mythology of New Amsterdam. DERIVE is an animated guidebook to the boroughs and should be required reading for travelers and residents alike"--Brenda Coultas.

Genres: Poetry

Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true slice of New York vis-a-vis the end stops of the subway which almost always lead you to the outer boroughs and to the best stories in the city. This collection presents me with an authentic snapshot of the city I once knew and leaves me feeling both homesick and glad to be away at the same time. Matthew Kinney's accompanying ink work also gives us a weighted dark version of NYC that is scary familiar adding texture to Mori's poems without offering explanation. A good read, for sure, but it's not a slow stroll through Museum Mile which is cool cuz I get the feeling Mori never meant it to be anyways. Sides, most New Yorkers can't stand anyone who "strolls."

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves a few more reads but for now I will say that Mori is effective in giving substance/humanity to both place and the individuals who comprise the place.

[Niall · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Igor, for some reason, I feel that I am abroad, instead of you." The many worlds of a single city in lyric and narrative fragments. The perfect guide to drifting in New York.