Middle Distance: Poems

Stanley Plumly's final collection, "Middle Distance," combines extended hybrid forms and revelatory prose pieces to explore his childhood, family, and friends, as well as his own mortality. The collection features tender depictions of poets, family, and friends, as well as unflinching self-portraits, and blends documentary and memoir with his signature Keatsian lyricism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 11 March 2022
Publisher: WW Norton & Co

After receiving a cancer diagnosis, renowned poet Stanley Plumly found himself standing at a crossroads, reflecting on his childhood and a lifetime filled with family and friends while also gazing into an uncertain future shaped by the relentless grip of mortality. In his final collection, Middle Distance, Plumly ventures into uncharted territory with extended hybrid forms and revelatory prose pieces, resulting in a poignant and transcendent culmination of a distinguished career. This remarkable work comprises fearless poems that bravely confront the impending eternal voyage, offering a profound testament to the human spirit.

Within the pages of this collection, Plumly weaves tender portrayals of poets, family, and friends, the relationships that have sustained him throughout his life. He also presents unflinching self-portraits, capturing the essence of his being in vivid and moving prose. In "White Rhino," for instance, he assumes the voice of the "last of [his] kind," using the rare creature as a canvas to depict the fading poet himself. In "Night Pastorals," he vividly describes his final moments on Earth, with fragmented impressions of the other side. Through profound lyric narratives, Plumly reconnects with a past that feels more present than ever, revisiting the Ohio of his childhood and the shadows of a country at war.

Middle Distance seamlessly blends documentary and memoir elements with Plumly's signature Keatsian lyricism, inviting readers to contemplate the vast horizons of his life at every turn. This poetic journey is a testament to the power of art to transcend time and space, offering solace, inspiration, and a profound appreciation for the fleeting beauty of existence.

Weight: 84g
Dimension: 138 x 209 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780393882490