Backyard Alchemy

by Lance Larsen, Jacqui Larsen (Illustrator)

Deft humor and poetic wisdom combine into a transformative new book of poetry by Utah author Lance Larsen. Offering golden glimpses of ordinary moments, Backyard Alchemy prompted poet and American Book Award winner Jim Barnes to "This book may save your life. You will learn something you will need to know with each poem you read."

Genres: Poetry

87 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 2009

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Sunni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just said something to my friend a few months ago about being frustrated with the lack of poetry about suburbia. I seem to read a lot about the lives of those who are more priveleged, who ruminate on the habits of their dogs, and who write about grand travels, etc. but nary a child, diaper, old car, or noisy neighbor feature in any of their poems. It's unhinging after a while when I wonder if I live in a totally different world than "great writers." That's the main reason I enjoyed this volume of poetry so much. Larsen writes about his daughter's hamster, his funny aunt watching the nightly news while her husband holds the antennae, grocery shopping, and sharing power with their Mexican neighbors. Sure, John Keats, Anna Pavlova, and Descartes make their way in there, but they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the absolute ordinary, and I find that refreshing and real.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

How have I forgotten until now to add Lance Larsen to my admittedly erratic Goodreads shelf? Ever since discovering his work I've come to rely on his poems for their consistent out-of-the-ballpark brilliance, their capacious knowledge of the world, investigative spirit, and lyrical exhilaration. I am over and over again left dazzled, informed, more awake, more startled, and more open reading Larsen's unparaphrasable poems. He's the real thing.

[Kiersten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some day I hope to fall in love with poetry. This collection was unique in that there was so much humor included. The poet also seemed to be so involved in his family life and wrote a lot about it. Discussing the poems in bookclub was so great and made me appreciate them more...It also made me realize I am not smart enough to understand a lot of poetry! Perphaps something to come back to in several years.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

One is always terrified of reading the work of friends. The awkwardness of a sincere response is a boogyman waiting between the book's covers. This slim volume appeared in our mailbox just before Christmas and my normally reflexive deflection didn't happen. For which I'm very glad. I look forward to his next collection.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I felt these poems really went over my head--they are beautifully written but very demanding. But I feel more interested in them and in Lance Larsen as a poet after discussing some of the poems in book club. I definitely want to reread some of the poems. I especially loved "On Kissing Sleeping Children."

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take these poems in one at a time. Give yourself a day or two to think about it, digest it, read it again. Some of these poems don't lend themselves to instant understanding, but as I've dug for meaning, I've found rich soil. Very honest and at times transcendental.

[Rynell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larsen's layering of the ordinary and the transcendental is exquisite.

[Dayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful stuff.

[Kristen]

I still don't know how to understand poetry. I could tell what I was reading was powerful, but I wasn't able to see why.