{"product_id":"the-beforelife-paperback","title":"The Beforelife - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eFranz Wright\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this stunning collection, Franz Wright chronicles the journey back from a place of isolation and wordlessness. After a period when it seemed certain he would never write poetry again, he speaks with bracing clarity about the twilit world that lies between madness and sanity, addiction and recovery. Wright negotiates the precarious transition from illness to health in a state of skeptical rapture, discovering along the way the exhilaration of love--both divine and human--and finding that even the most battered consciousness can be good company. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhether he is writing about his regret for the abortion of a child, describing the mechanics of slander (\"I can just hear them on the telephone and keening all their kissy little knives\"), or composing an ironic ode to himself (\"To a Blossoming Nut Case\"), Wright's poems are exquisitely precise. Charles Simic has characterized him as a poetic miniaturist, whose \"secret ambition is to write an epic on the inside of a matchbook cover.\" Time and again, Wright turns on a dime in a few brief lines, exposing the dark comedy and poignancy of his heightened perception. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHere is one of the poems from the collection: \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDescription of Her Eyes \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTwo teaspoonfuls, \u003cbr\u003eand my mind goes\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eeveryone can kiss my ass now\u003c\/i\u003e-- \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ethen it's changed, \u003cbr\u003eI change my mind. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEyes so sad, and infinitely kind.\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this stunning collection, Franz Wright chronicles the journey back from a place of isolation and wordlessness. After a period when it seemed certain he would never write poetry again, he speaks with bracing clarity about the twilit world that lies between madness and sanity, addiction and recovery. Wright negotiates the precarious transition from illness to health in a state of skeptical rapture, discovering along the way the exhilaration of love--both divine and human--and finding that even the most battered consciousness can be good company. \u003cbr\u003eWhether he is writing about his regret for the abortion of a child, describing the mechanics of slander (\"I can just hear them on the telephone and keening all their kissy little knives\"), or composing an ironic ode to himself (\"To a Blossoming Nut Case\"), Wright's poems are exquisitely precise. Charles Simic has characterized him as a poetic miniaturist, whose \"secret ambition is to write an epic on the inside of a matchbook cover.\" Time and again, Wright turns on a dime in a few brief lines, exposing the dark comedy and poignancy of his heightened perception. \u003cbr\u003eHere is one of the poems from the collection: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDescription of Her Eyes \u003cbr\u003eTwo teaspoonfuls, \u003cbr\u003eand my mind goes\u003cbr\u003e\"everyone can kiss my ass now-- \u003cbr\u003ethen it's changed, Eyes so sad, and infinitely kind.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFranz Wright, the son of the poet James Wright, was born in Vienna in 1953 and grew up in the Northwest, the Midwest, and northern California. His most recent works include \u003ci\u003eIll Lit: Selected \u0026amp; New Poems\u003c\/i\u003e and an expanded edition of translations entitled \u003ci\u003eThe Unknown Rilke\u003c\/i\u003e. He has been the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts grants, a Whiting Fellowship, and the PEN\/Voelcker Award for Poetry, among other honors. He lives in Waltham, Massachusetts, with his wife, Elizabeth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 96\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.3 x 8.24 x 5.54 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 02, 2002\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51749682905376,"sku":"9780375709432","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/79a61b3408037e93ab6e5b967b98b99a.webp?v=1779936216","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-beforelife-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}