What do you think?
Rate this book
Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets
At Lake Scugog: Poems
This is an eagerly awaited collection of new poems from the author of Tom Thomson in Purgatory , which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was hailed by the New York Times as a "snappy, entertaining book." A triumphant follow-up to that acclaimed debut, At Lake Scugog demonstrates why the S an Francisco Chronicle has called Troy Jollimore "a new and exciting voice in American poetry."
Jollimore is a professional philosopher, and in witty and profound ways his formally playful poems dramatize philosophical subjects―especially the individual's relation to the larger world, and the permeable, constantly shifting border between "inner" and "outer." For instance, the speaker of "The Solipsist," suspecting that the entire world "lives inside of your skull," wonders "why / God would make ear and eye / to face outward , not in." And Tom Thomson―a character who also appeared in Jollimore’s first book―finds himself journeying like an astronaut through the far reaches of the space that fills his head, an experience that prompts him to ask that a doorbell be installed "on the inside ," so that he can warn the world before "intruding on’t."
Jollimore is a professional philosopher, and in witty and profound ways his formally playful poems dramatize philosophical subjects―especially the individual's relation to the larger world, and the permeable, constantly shifting border between "inner" and "outer." For instance, the speaker of "The Solipsist," suspecting that the entire world "lives inside of your skull," wonders "why / God would make ear and eye / to face outward , not in." And Tom Thomson―a character who also appeared in Jollimore’s first book―finds himself journeying like an astronaut through the far reaches of the space that fills his head, an experience that prompts him to ask that a doorbell be installed "on the inside ," so that he can warn the world before "intruding on’t."
- GenresPoetry
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Troy Jollimore
18 books13 followersTroy Jollimore was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia and attended the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Princeton University in 1999. He has lived in the U.S. since 1993 and is currently Professor of Philosophy at California State University, Chico. He has been an External Faculty Fellow at the Stanford Humanities Center (2006–07), the Stanley P. Young Fellow in Poetry at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference (2012), and a Guggenheim Fellow (2013).
Jollimore's philosophical writings frequently concern ethical issues connected to personal relationships. His first book, Friendship and Agent-Relative Morality (Studies in Ethics, was published in 2001; his second, Love's Vision, appeared in 2011, and his third, On Loyalty, in 2012. He has also published on topics including the ethics of terrorism, the depiction of evil in literature, the nature of happiness, and so-called "admirable immorality."
His first collection of poetry, Tom Thomson in Purgatory, won the National Book Critics Circle award for poetry in 2006. It was also nominated for the 2007 Poets' Prize, and individual poems in the collection received nominations for the Pushcart Prize. His second collection, At Lake Scugog, appeared in the Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets in 2011.
Jollimore's poems have appeared in publications including The New Yorker, The Believer, McSweeney's, The Walrus, and Poetry. He is also a frequent book reviewer, writing for the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Globe, and the Boston Review, among others.
Jollimore's philosophical writings frequently concern ethical issues connected to personal relationships. His first book, Friendship and Agent-Relative Morality (Studies in Ethics, was published in 2001; his second, Love's Vision, appeared in 2011, and his third, On Loyalty, in 2012. He has also published on topics including the ethics of terrorism, the depiction of evil in literature, the nature of happiness, and so-called "admirable immorality."
His first collection of poetry, Tom Thomson in Purgatory, won the National Book Critics Circle award for poetry in 2006. It was also nominated for the 2007 Poets' Prize, and individual poems in the collection received nominations for the Pushcart Prize. His second collection, At Lake Scugog, appeared in the Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets in 2011.
Jollimore's poems have appeared in publications including The New Yorker, The Believer, McSweeney's, The Walrus, and Poetry. He is also a frequent book reviewer, writing for the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Globe, and the Boston Review, among others.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 11, 2013
Rich, flowing imagery and a stark, cold sense of longing combine to make Troy Jollimore's slim book of poems a lesson on life. I found myself immediately drawn to the inward observations and the lush word choices. These are strong, dark poems that lead through misty and mysterious paths, but always dump you out on the sunny road feeling somehow cleaner, and newer than before.
October 5, 2018
“as I go on/ this decrepit camera/ captures less/ and less of me”—Troy Jollimore, “Imperceptibly”
The philosopher/poet engages in omphaloskepsis and haruspicy, perhaps exposing too many organs (“Ars Poetica”) in his quest for self-knowledge, while entertaining with clever witticisms and educating with hard-won wisdom.
The philosopher/poet engages in omphaloskepsis and haruspicy, perhaps exposing too many organs (“Ars Poetica”) in his quest for self-knowledge, while entertaining with clever witticisms and educating with hard-won wisdom.
August 11, 2011
Such a great collection of poetry. Some shorter poems, some longer, a lot of them center around the themes of nostalgia, lost love, innocence. The self, nature, and the poet/singer himself also figures prominently. Definitely worth some intimate time spent reading and rereading passages.
November 18, 2011
Brilliant poetry yet again from Troy Jollimore. Loved the book and the continuation of Tom Thompson poems...
June 26, 2011
I was impressed and pleased by these poems. Some of them felt kind of like Shel Silverstein for grown-ups, but he uses a good mix of techniques and styles. Will now be looking for more of his work.
May 15, 2012
Not nearly as poignant or as flat-out funny as Tom Thomson in Purgatory, but still one of the more engaging poets I've read
October 31, 2015
Have really enjoyed his first Tom Thomson book and the first half of this one.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews