Moving verse for a mystery man.
Affection for an individual gives way to love for the world in this debut collection of romantic poetry.
In the introduction to her raw, passionate book of verse, Matic discusses the peculiar way in which love for a person can transform itself into something larger and more selfless: “I have realised that the greatest, most powerful love of all has touched me and it wasn’t just a feeling of love for this one man but a deep passionate love and respect for humankind as a whole.” The structure of this quote mirrors the organization of the book. Early on in the volume, Matic gives readers lots of deeply personal love poems; for example, here are the closing lines of the aptly titled “I Miss You”: “I miss you in the magic / Of the blossom trees / Everywhere I feel you / In everything I miss you / Everywhere I see you / Then I try not to cry.” Here and elsewhere, the poet writes emotional works dedicated to a “stranger,” many of which are pulled back from the brink of triteness by the obvious purity of her devotion to this man. (Matic, who lives in Australia, refers to this stranger pseudonymously as G.H. Eagle Spirit and includes some of his notes to her at the end of the volume.) And yet the collection gains in power and scope when her love shakes free from this narrow idiom and takes flight: “I fell in love / With a stranger I have never seen / Should I search for the answers / Written in the stars / Or just close my eyes and let the river flow / To carry me on the wings of time / Into the realm I have never known.” Unexpected shifts like this one, away from the stranger and toward the water and the stars, give the poems in the second half of the book a jolt of energy and a feeling of wonder.
Moving verse for a mystery man.Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-984500-60-1
Page Count: 94
Publisher: XlibrisAU
Review Posted Online: Nov. 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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