Something Bright, Then Holes

Maggie Nelson's third collection of poems combines a wanderer's attention to landscape with a deeply personal exploration of desire, heartbreak, resilience, accident, and flux. The book explores the problem of losing and recovering sight and insight, including a long sequence of meditations written at the shore of a polluted urban canal, a harrowing long poem written at a friend's hospital bedside, and a series of unsparing lyrics honoring the conjoined forces of love and sorrow. The poems are linked by Nelson's singular poetic voice, as sly and exacting as it is raw.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 80 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Maggie Nelson's third collection of poems seamlessly blends a wanderer's keen observation of the landscape with a profoundly intimate exploration of desire, heartbreak, resilience, accident, and flux. In "Something Bright, Then Holes," the author delves into the challenging realm of losing and then reclaiming sight and insight—of experiencing a sense of disorientation, followed by a newfound clarity, only to find oneself lost once more. The book's three sections showcase a diverse range of poetic styles, encompassing a lengthy sequence of meditations reminiscent of Niedecker's work, a harrowing long poem penned at a friend's hospital bedside, and a series of poignant lyrics that honor the intricate interplay of love and sorrow. Regardless of the varying aesthetics, the poems are unified by Nelson's distinctive poetic voice, which is both cunning and precise, while also being raw and unfiltered. This collection serves as a testament to Nelson's unwavering dedication to mapping the intricacies of emotion, regardless of their complexity or the toll they may exact.

Weight: 94g
Dimension: 132 x 198 x 6 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781786995735