Customer Reviews

Fossil Sky

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I first saw this, unfolded, and taped onto the wall in an English professor's office. My immediate thought was that it was a representation of a cell, but upon closer inspection I found not notes worthy of a Biology major but an incredible free-form and free-verse poem. I had never been a huge fan of poetry despite finishing up my Master's degree in English, but this poem struck me with its amazing creativity.

Every time I pull out this poem, I find something new: a new path to follow, a new interpretation of a line, a different direction to take a thought. While many poems have this ability, few use the visual aspect of ink on paper quite in this way. Hinton also incorporates sound in his poem, reproducing the cry of a hawk in a way that makes me wish I had been brilliant enough to discover "pkeer!"

Now that I am a professor, I have discovered a multitude of ways to use this in various writing and literature courses regardless of level. My freshmen are awed at a nontraditional poem, and creative writers often find themselves pushing boundaries of what is "allowed" in writing after perusing Fossil Sky. It's a wonderful tool for exploring how free-verse and avant-guarde poetry can function successfully. Many classes have ordered a "class copy" of the work, taped it to the wall, and then wrote other quotes from authors in the free space where they felt a connection with Hinton's work. There are so many ways to interact with this text!

My only concern is that while the paper used to print this isn't exceedingly fragile, like anything folded map-style, Fossil Sky requires gentle care when folding and unfolding. A few creases will tear if you are too hasty.