Fresh Out of the Sky

Fresh Out of the Sky is a book of songs, dreams, laments, narratives, and comedies about major life changes involving country, identity, and belonging. It explores the theme of perpetually standing at the edge of change, anticipating it, reflecting on it, and dreaming about it. The title sequence returns to the terza rima theme of memory, followed by poems set in the aftermath of war, upheaval, and life in contemporary England. Covid poems run through the collection like a thread holding the book and the condition of England together, embracing the second part of The Yellow Room and a bestiary of transformations. The book ends on occasions of consolation, delight, and joy in the midst of darkness and uncertainty.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 21 October 2021
Publisher: Bloodaxe Books Ltd

Fresh Out of the Sky is a captivating collection of songs, dreams, laments, narratives, and comedies, intricately woven with passages that explore profound life transformations related to country, identity, and belonging. This literary masterpiece delves into the perpetual state of standing at the precipice of change, eagerly anticipating its arrival, engaging in thoughtful reflection upon it, and allowing dreams to shape its essence. The title sequence of the book revisits the terza rima theme of memory, reminiscent of sequences found in his earlier works, such as the exploration of his early Budapest childhood in Reel and the journey towards adulthood in England in An English Apocalypse. In this instance, the theme revolves around his arrival in England as a child in 1956. These narratives are interspersed with poems set in the aftermath of war, upheaval, and the realities of contemporary England, presented through dreamlike reports from the Covid bunkers we have collectively inhabited. The Covid poems serve as a unifying thread that binds the book together, intricately weaving the tapestry of the condition of England. They intertwine with the second part of The Yellow Room, a continuous poem that delves into impossible questions about residual Jewishness, engaging in a dialogue with the poet's late father. Additionally, the book incorporates a bestiary of transformations inspired by the works of Guillaume Apollinaire and Graham Sutherland. As the book reaches its conclusion, it offers moments of solace, delight, and joy amidst the darkness and uncertainty that permeate the world. Fresh Out of the Sky is a testament to the human spirit's resilience and ability to find beauty and meaning even in the most challenging circumstances.

Weight: 270g
Dimension: 157 x 232 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781780375847