Oldman's River: New and Collected Poems

by Sid Marty

Sid Mary is a voice to be reckoned with.

Beloved for his intimate, lyrical poetry, Marty's depiction of selfhood, connection to place and to landscape have proven him a unique and dissenting voice in Canadian literature as well as a consistent presence in the Canadian environmental movement. These are poems, often strongly resonant of western speech, that celebrate all the vicissitudes of rural life, the loves and losses, the valleys and peaks of life on the prairies, foothills and in the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia.

This first-ever collected works brings together old and new poems, published and unpublished works, in a celebration of the career and artistry of a Western Canadian icon.

413 pages, Paperback

Published May 15, 2023

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first I've read of Marty's poems, although I'm very familiar with his non-fiction work - I even recognized many of those stories in these poems!

I'm not exactly well versed in poetry, but to my layman's eyes these are really good! There's a casual, conversational familiarity to them that I feel is very accessible and enjoyable to read. I learned pretty quick the difference between reading them in your head vs out loud, and I highly recommend the latter for any you find particularly stirring.

[Janet Mercer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marty’s poetry connects you to the world he lives in, you can feel the cold winds blowing or the sunshine on your face as you look out over the bluff. Like any collection, some make you smile, laugh, pause, feel the place, respect the subject, or maybe it doesn’t speak to you. Overall a good Canadian collection.