Necessary Light: poems by Patricia Fargnoli (Swenson Poetry Award) [Paperback]

Patricia Fargnoli (Author)

Book Description

Series: Swenson Poetry Award | Publication Date: November 1, 1999

Winner of the 1999 May Swenson Poetry Award. Now in paperback, is the awarding winning poetry of Pat Fargnoli. Her heartfelt poetry touches the very core of human experience and emotion.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In Necessary Light, Pat Fargnoli proves that joy is not only possible, but that the highest joy is arrived at only after bearing the weight of experience through some terrifying valleys. Ms. Fargnoli's heartening, disturbing, mature first book is rich with two things poetry can never have enough of: energy and wonder. -- Brendan Galvin

Readers will discover many facets of Fargnoli's voice...but I think the two attributes that will most impress readers are, first, the almost shimmering gladness with which Ms. Fargnoli replies to the gifts of beauty and of human love; and, second, the compassion with which she addresses whatever is beyond her own intimate surroundings. -- Mary Oliver

About the Author

A longtime resident of Windsor, Connecticut, Pat Fargnoli has for the last five years made her home in Keene, New Hampshire. In 1998, she retired from her career as a clinical social worker and psychotherapist to devote her time to teaching at the Keene Institiue of Music and Related Arts and writing poetry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Utah State University Press; 1 edition (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874212847
• ISBN-13: 978-0874212846
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,320,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A poet of experiences and places, March 28, 2000

By 

N. Douglas (Riverside, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Necessary Light: poems by Patricia Fargnoli (Swenson Poetry Award) (Paperback)

These poems reveal much of the poet -- her loves, life, children, and experiences -- but they are also full of phrases which touch on the universal. The poems are based on unexceptional experiences, such as tripping and falling, visiting Walt Whitman's grave, viewing Hopper's paintings, the conception of a child. But the language used in expressing the feelings involved and the sense of place are exceptional, inviting, and sometimes startling, without being shocking. Some poems are almost snapshots of coastal New England and Ireland, but with a depth and color that go far beyond the instant. These are thoughtful poems that lead to re-reading for continued pleasure and insight.