The Cineaste
Poems
7 May 2013
Territory Rights — Worldwide.
Description
A remarkable montage of poems that explore film, poetry, and the elusiveness of reverie.
from “Last Year at Marienbad”
A place, though visible, is like a ghost
of memories. Even memories one forgets
linger in the space in which they occurred.
Here within the expanse of vaulted ceilings,
doorways leading to more doors, hallways
leading to more halls, the faintest recollections
absorb over time; no act will wholly evanesce.
Reviews
"The Cineaste is the announcement of the birth of an entirely new poetics. A. Van Jordan brings the art of film and the art of poetry together in a virtuoso act of passion. This work goes beyond memorable speech into an articulation of the spirit, the hunger, the enchantment and terror of a nation and a time. In unforgettably resonant pieces this poetry creates a whole. This is one of our most important poets doing perhaps his own most important work of a lifetime." — Laura Kasischke
"For several books now, A. Van Jordan has been proving himself master of the dramatic monologue. His skill is especially dazzling in The Cineaste as he turns to cinema, that other realm of persona and projection. With an imagination illuminated by empathy, Jordan inhabits the eye of the camera, the eye of the actor, and the ‘I’ of a viewer tethered to image and history. These terrific poems give shape to lives made of light." — Terrance Hayes
"[O]ffers sharp ruminations on films both familiar (Blazing Saddles) and relatively obscure (Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali)." — Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly
"Brilliant… Every piece denotes feeling—and this is what moves us forward." — Grace Cavalieri, Washington Independent Review of Books