Book Summary: Still, the Sky by Tom Pearson
Still, the Sky is a speculative mythology rendered through poetry and art that combines the tales of Icarus and the Minotaur and creates for them a shared coming-of-age through a correspondence of written fragments, artifacts, ecofacts, and ephemera.
Fragmented memories, relics, and confessions combine in a labyrinth of fever dreams and meditations which contemplate innocence and experience, war and peace, exile and homecoming, flight and failure, love and loss.
Book Review: Still, the Sky by Tom Pearson
Poetry has long used classical mythology as a prism through which to see the numerous ways in which our present-day experiences of heroism, pride, progress and tragedy are mirrored in the ancient tales. Maybe this is why every new generation of poets finds so much encouragement and self-recognition in myths: they help in the understanding of our collective unconsciousness. At a time when there is renewed interest about the importance of myths and other archetypes in our society, as well as about the philosophical themes that many of the poems reveal, “Still, the Sky” presents a multiplicity of modern retellings of Greek stories that are frequently dazzling in their uniqueness.
To create something new out of something that has been used so often throughout Western history is mind-boggling to consider. But when a poet does succeed in developing a fresh and powerful voice, we can do nothing but stare in awe at the uniqueness and enchantment of their work. “Still, the Sky” is a remarkable collection of poetry that not only attests to our never-ending interest in classic mythology but also adequately rewards us for doing so. Tom Pearson’s rendition of Greek myth via poetry blends the stories of Theseus’ quest for the Minotaur and Icarus’ fall to create a reading experience that is both interesting and emotionally moving.
Tom Pearson’s use of language is surprising, direct, and reaches an astonishing depth. The themes of love, life, and nature are presented in a manner that is immensely moving and beautiful. His sensitivity in writing about hope and hunger, about life and death, about exploring and returning, is absolutely great. The exquisite beauty of this poetry collection “Still, the Sky” is that the metaphors felt divinely nostalgic, the descriptions felt so vivid but very delicate, and the hope that certain poems still managed to portray despite the tragic events.
Poems emanate an overwhelming affection for life, the world, and the transient quality of existence. Tom Pearson digs deeper into the mythology in order to have a firmer hold on the present, and when he does so, the roots of his memories and the feelings of longing that they evoke form the foundation of his intellectual architecture. These poems about loss, love, history, and humanity are accessible yet exceptionally well-crafted. I wholeheartedly recommend “Still, the Sky” to poetry readers and non-poetry readers.
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