An exceptional object poem by Christopher James

I have to admit I’m a fan of object poems, especially those that take a seemingly insignificant item and invest it with personal meaning. This process often involves a so-called “poetic leap” from the object to the experience.

In this respect, Christopher James’ recent object poem on And Other Poems (see here) is exceptional for several reasons. First of all, it doesn’t make one but several leaps, all of which are successful. And then the object in question convincingly comes to life. And then it gradually gives up further mysteries and details as the poem progresses.

Such a layering of elements is extremely difficult to achieve in an object poem, but the result is terrific depth and a delicious degree of nuance. Recommended reading that will lift you out of this grim, grim set of current circumstances...!

Three poems at And Other Poems

I'm delighted to report that Josephine Corcoran is today featuring my work over at her excellent And Other Poems. She's posted three pieces from my forthcoming first full collection, The Knives of Villalejo, and you can read them by following this link. While there, why not explore the rest of And Other Poems, one of the most scrupulously curated selections of contemporary poetry on the web?

Josephine Corcoran's And Other Poems blog

Josephine Corcoran's And Other Poems blog has been a very welcome addition to the U.K. poetry scene over the last few months. As she herself puts it:

"And Other Poems is simply a quiet, uncluttered place to read poems...the blog’s aim is to give readership to poems which would not otherwise be available, for instance poems no longer elsewhere online, out of print poems, poems published in print but not online, and new, unpublished poems."

Moreover, And Other Poems is not just a haphazardly posted bunch of poems. Corcoran's editorial eye has meant that verse is chosen with care, often just one piece per poet. I very much recommend you turn off your mobile, settle back and explore her list of poets, which includes Alison Brackenbury, Richie McCaffery, Carrie Etter, Esther Morgan, George Szirtes, Hannah Lowe, Ian Duhig, Philip Gross and many, many more.

I'm especially pleased today because Josephine Corcoran has added my name to the afore-mentioned list. Formica, a poem that first saw the light of day in The Rialto and then appeared in Inventing Truth, is the feature piece today on And Other Poems. You can read it here.