Customer Reviews

Saving Daylight

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I read this in three sittings over 2 days and I have to say it is the best poetry I have read in a long time. Subtle hints of Whitman and Neruda are folded into an American West verbage that sweeps you away to wherever Jim was when he wrote. I am rereading it now and I think I may eventually test the physical longevity of this hardback.

There is not enough red wine in the world to make one strong enough to withstand these confessions. Jim Harrison has restored poetry to its original face, and brought it into the present, the future. He stands alone, miles from the hordes that squabble over the scraps of pop culture. Saving Daylight is not just a book: it is an oasis, a place to rest and resurrect.

Harrison writes poetry for those who prefer a woodsy creek-bed to the local coffee house. He writes with a rough and romantic simplicity which belies the power underneath, and he can manage in a few short lines to spark your mind and tingle your guts. Poetry like this is rare, and Harrison a rare breed.

This collection specifically is, in my opinion, his strongest. He conjures pinyon jays and coyotes under the moon, contemplates time and death, joy and regret. This has been my go-to poetry for many camping trips, and my natural refuge while living in a lifeless major city. It has been an awakening, and a meditation, and I think it would be quite something to be able to see the world through his magical glass eye. When Harrison stops writing poetry, the world will be a duller, murkier place.

Harrison excels at putting words to paper which best describe the images we all carry in our memories. Difficult to be patient for his next work.

I'm not really into poetry but found this author from an episode of Anthony Bourdain's show and really enjoyed the compilation. That said, I enjoyed the book and am happy with my purchase.