Carcanet Press - I been there, sort of: New and Selected Poems

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the day the music stopped
I came by
& was blasted
by the poui tree's
golden indifference

from 'Diptych'

Mervyn Morris is one of the most distinctive West Indian poets, his work characterised by economy, wit and humane seriousness. He makes elegant use of Jamaica's linguistic range, with poems in international standard English, Jamaican Creole and mixtures in between. These variations inflect his treatment of love, lust, time, memory, death, religion, politics, commitment, identity, history, art and other concerns. His poems frequently suggest the tension inherent in moments of choice.

I Been There, Sort Of: New and Selected Poems continues the poet's exploration of self and society, 'reality' and the imagination. It brings together poems from three of Mervyn Morris's previous collections, Shadowboxing, The Pond and Examination Centre, alongside new work.

Table of Contents

Short Story

Critic

Dialogue for One

At a Poetry Reading

Behind the Curtain

Encounter

Proposition One

The Pledge

Autograph Album

Reunion

Tournament

Birthdays

Eve

Connection

Parlour Game

Operation

Happy Hour

Pantomime

Moment of Truth

Interview

Persephone

Casanova

North Coast Hotel

Cabal

A Poet of the People

Poetry Workshop

Advisory

Montage

Post-colonial Identity

Peelin Orange

Oblation

Toasting a Muse

Heritage

Muntu

Sentences for Heritage Week

Having Eyes that See

Thank-you Note

Gaffes

Boarding School

Caning

After the Movie

Tutorial

Asylum

To Tell the Truth

Counsellor

Critique

Anniversary Proceedings

Granny

Praise the Lord

At Church

Diptych

Au Revoir

Farewell Function

Transitions

Garden

Postcard

Epitaph

Jamaican Dance - 2

A Chant Against Death

A Word

On Holy Week

Prologue by the Maker

Jesus in Gethsemane

A Priest

Judas

Pilate's Wife

Pilate

Peter

Soldiers

Simon of Cyrene

A Woman Named Mary

Jesus on the Road

Malefactor (Left)

Malefactor (Right)

Centurion

Mary (Mother)

John

Joseph of Arimathaea

Mary Magdalene

Thomas

from The Pond

Valley Prince

Stripper

To an Expatriate Friend

To the Unknown Non-combatant

The Day My Father Died

Outing

Little Boy Crying

Shadows

The Roaches

The Pond

Narcissus

Mariners

from Shadowboxing

Muse

Afro-Saxon

For Consciousness

Cave

A Voyage

Meeting

In the Garden

Togetherness

Dreamtime

A Birthday Poem

Terminal

Checking Out

from Examination Centre

Examination Centre

Love Is

Peacetime

Sister

Seen

There Was a Young Poet

Data

My Rodney Poem

Windscreen

Legion

Walk Good

Mervyn Morris was born in Jamaica in 1937 and studied at the University College of the West Indies and St Edmund Hall, Oxford. In 1992 he was a UK Arts Council Visiting Writer-in-Residence at the South Bank Centre. His previous collections include The Pond , Shadowboxing , Examination Centre and On ... read more

'I Been There, Sort Of is a wonderful read of a range of Morris' poetry over many years.' Glyne Griffith, the Caribbean Review of Books Praise for Mervyn Morris '...one of the most significant poets in the Caribbean.' - Michael Niblett, Wasafiri Magazine

In Short Story , the opening poem from Mervyn Morris' I been there, sort of , the developing relationship between two individuals is transposed on to the process of fiction writing. read more

�This most recent collection from Mervyn Morris features new poems as well as selections from his four earlier books, The Pond (1973), On Holy Week (1976), Shadowboxing (1979), and Examination Centre (1992). read more

In the late 1960s and 1970s, a cluster of male poets found themselves reading and discussing each other's work in Kingston. read more

This most recent collection from Mervyn Morris features new poems as well as selections from his four earlier books, The Pond (1973), On Holy Week (1976), Shadowboxing (1979), and Examination Centre (1992). read more

Mel Cooke, The Jamaica Gleaner
When Professor Mervyn Morris spoke at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, on Sunday morning, he began with gratitude. read more

Ralph Thompson, The Sunday Gleaner
I been there, sort of
Address at the launch of Mervyn Morris's new collection of poems, 'I Been There, Sort Of', which took place last Sunday at the Phillip Sherlock Centre, UWI, Mona. read more

Mary Hanna, The Sunday Gleaner
Mervyn Morris' 'fresh offerings'
One of the Caribbean's most distinguished poets and critics, Mervyn Morris, has been awarded the Institute of Jamaica's Centenary Medal and a Silver Musgrave Medal for poetry. read more

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I been there, sort of: New and Selected Poems Mervyn Morris RRP: GBP£ 9.95 Discount: 10% You Save: GBP£ 0.99 Price: GBP£ 8.96 Available Paperback ISBN: 978 1 857548 29 7 Categories: 21st Century, Caribbean Imprint: Carcanet Poetry Published: July 2006 216 x 135 x 8 mm 88 pages Publisher: Carcanet Press Description Excerpt Author Contents Reviews the day the music stopped I came by & was blasted by the poui tree's golden indifference from 'Diptych' Mervyn Morris is one of the most distinctive West Indian poets, his work characterised by economy, wit and humane seriousness. He makes elegant use of Jamaica's linguistic range, with poems in international standard English, Jamaican Creole and mixtures in between. These variations inflect his treatment of love, lust, time, memory, death, religion, politics, commitment, identity, history, art and other concerns. His poems frequently suggest the tension inherent in moments of choice. I Been There, Sort Of: New and Selected Poems continues the poet's exploration of self and society, 'reality' and the imagination. It brings together poems from three of Mervyn Morris's previous collections, Shadowboxing, The Pond and Examination Centre, alongside new work. Table of Contents Short Story Critic Dialogue for One At a Poetry Reading Behind the Curtain Encounter Proposition One The Pledge Autograph Album Reunion Tournament Birthdays Eve Connection Parlour Game Operation Happy Hour Pantomime Moment of Truth Interview Persephone Casanova North Coast Hotel Cabal A Poet of the People Poetry Workshop Advisory Montage Post-colonial Identity Peelin Orange Oblation Toasting a Muse Heritage Muntu Sentences for Heritage Week Having Eyes that See Thank-you Note Gaffes Boarding School Caning After the Movie Tutorial Asylum To Tell the Truth Counsellor Critique Anniversary Proceedings Granny Praise the Lord At Church Diptych Au Revoir Farewell Function Transitions Garden Postcard Epitaph Jamaican Dance - 2 A Chant Against Death A Word On Holy Week Prologue by the Maker Jesus in Gethsemane A Priest Judas Pilate's Wife Pilate Peter Soldiers Simon of Cyrene A Woman Named Mary Jesus on the Road Malefactor (Left) Malefactor (Right) Centurion Mary (Mother) John Joseph of Arimathaea Mary Magdalene Thomas from The Pond Valley Prince Stripper To an Expatriate Friend To the Unknown Non-combatant The Day My Father Died Outing Little Boy Crying Shadows The Roaches The Pond Narcissus Mariners from Shadowboxing Muse Afro-Saxon For Consciousness Cave A Voyage Meeting In the Garden Togetherness Dreamtime A Birthday Poem Terminal Checking Out from Examination Centre Examination Centre Love Is Peacetime Sister Seen There Was a Young Poet Data My Rodney Poem Windscreen Legion Walk Good Mervyn Morris was born in Jamaica in 1937 and studied at the University College of the West Indies and St Edmund Hall, Oxford. In 1992 he was a UK Arts Council Visiting Writer-in-Residence at the South Bank Centre. His previous collections include The Pond , Shadowboxing , Examination Centre and On ... read more 'I Been There, Sort Of is a wonderful read of a range of Morris' poetry over many years.' Glyne Griffith, the Caribbean Review of Books Praise for Mervyn Morris '...one of the most significant poets in the Caribbean.' - *Michael Niblett, Wasafiri* Magazine** In Short Story , the opening poem from Mervyn Morris' I been there, sort of , the developing relationship between two individuals is transposed on to the process of fiction writing. read more �This most recent collection from Mervyn Morris features new poems as well as selections from his four earlier books, The Pond (1973), On Holy Week (1976), Shadowboxing (1979), and Examination Centre (1992). read more In the late 1960s and 1970s, a cluster of male poets found themselves reading and discussing each other's work in Kingston. read more This most recent collection from Mervyn Morris features new poems as well as selections from his four earlier books, The Pond (1973), On Holy Week (1976), Shadowboxing (1979), and Examination Centre (1992). read more Mel Cooke, The Jamaica Gleaner When Professor Mervyn Morris spoke at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, on Sunday morning, he began with gratitude. read more Ralph Thompson, The Sunday Gleaner I been there, sort of Address at the launch of Mervyn Morris's new collection of poems, 'I Been There, Sort Of', which took place last Sunday at the Phillip Sherlock Centre, UWI, Mona. read more Mary Hanna, The Sunday Gleaner Mervyn Morris' 'fresh offerings' One of the Caribbean's most distinguished poets and critics, Mervyn Morris, has been awarded the Institute of Jamaica's Centenary Medal and a Silver Musgrave Medal for poetry. read more You might also be interested in: A Light Song of Light Kei Miller Sound Houses Will Eaves	Share this... 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