Customer Reviews

The Snow Watcher: Poems

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I love the forthrightness of these poems. Chase Twichell's THE SNOW WATCHER is a book of some of the most convincing American zen poems I've ever seen. They are American in the sense that they are constantly subverting themselves, constantly questioning themselves, but at the same time they are beautiful and evocative and searching moments of clarity. There is a steady quietude that manages to peel back the layers of both the natural world and the self in a way that is both fresh and deeply historical.

Actually,that's what happened to my copy. I was going through an ugly divorce. I am a Buddhist. A friend suggested reading this book through the Hard Time. I took it to a pub, had a beer or two too many, left without the book. Realised it was left two minutes later, went back, Too late! Gone. I figure whoever nabbed it was also in need of the clarity, the crystal limning, the in-your-face reality. The best book of poetry I've read in a decade. I think I'll order another copy.

Spare but haunting poems reflective of Buddhist practice and an alert, probing mind. Some of the poems are subtly disturbing, hinting of dark times in the author's past, but others are hopeful and insightful. Twichell manages to convey a poetic persona that is both probing and playful. Overall, a crisp and bracing read.