Carcanet Press - Now, Then

Description
Author
Reviews

Illusions and delusions, joys and jokes, mysteries of memory and temporal paradox figure in Andrew McNeillie's new collection. Here are new sequences of bird poems, and tree poems, lines from an autobiography, lines from America, and poems about old age, in elegiac, ironic, and even vitriolic mode. These poems are about being and longing, belonging and not belonging in the world, past or present, now or then. They are about having and not having a home to go to. Haunted by the rapt, rural and wilderness gaze of childhood, youth and young manhood, the poems in Now, Then express worlds and times past of immediate sensual being and seeing 'then' - 'bubble-rapt' - in a 'sound-warp...like a dipper submerged in a rushing pool' - before the world caught up with their author: now counting his blessings, cursing his luck as time flies faster in life's dark wood.

Andrew McNeillie was born in North Wales and read English at Magdalen College, Oxford before becoming an editor and publisher. For many years he was literature editor at Oxford University Press. He has also held a chair in English at Exeter University where he is now Emeritus Professor. He is the ... read more

Praise for Andrew McNeillie 'A living poetic language flows, easy and slangyâ¦the occasional poems which punctuate the later part of the collection are vitalized and real, among them elegies that remember mourning his fatherâs death, and other deaths, which ring true, urged into being by poetry itself.'
Gillian Clarke 'The finest poems here are witty and elegiac, comforting and cajoling and speak of pervading human concerns with a rare lyrical ease and quiet authority. McNeillieâs special gift is for providing the pleasure that comes from recognition: we can see ourselves in his poems. The book carries an epigram from Wordsworth, and there is a Wordsworthian sense of audience and connection in this collection.'

Times Literary Supplement

'There is some extraordinary virtuosity here â in one poem, he finds 33 half-rhymes for 'envy'.
John Greening, Country Life

Quote of the Day If it were not for Carcanet, my library would be unbearably impoverished. Louis de Bernieres Home Events Authors Titles Paperback Hardback Limited Edition Journal CD eBook Audiobook Exact Editions Imprints Anvil Press Poetry Aspects of Portugal Audio Books Carcanet Classics Carcanet Fiction Carcanet Film Carcanet Poetry FyfieldBooks Lintott Press Little Island Press Lives and Letters Northern House OxfordPoets PN Review Sheep Meadow Press Information About Us Carcanet Celebrates 50 Years! Academic Enquiries Authors for Events Catalogue Contact Us Copyright and Permissions Join Our Mailing List Opportunities at Carcanet Press Enquiries PN Review PN Review Creative Writing Prize Returns Policy Shopping Guide Stocklist Submission Guidelines Trade Information Resources Audio Gallery Reading Group Guides Video
Book Search Search > advanced search Subscribe to our mailing list
Now, Then Andrew McNeillie 10% off Imprint: OxfordPoets Publisher: Carcanet Press Available as: Paperback (120 pages) (Pub. Oct 2002) 9781903039601 £8.95 £8.05 Description Author Reviews Illusions and delusions, joys and jokes, mysteries of memory and temporal paradox figure in Andrew McNeillie's new collection. Here are new sequences of bird poems, and tree poems, lines from an autobiography, lines from America, and poems about old age, in elegiac, ironic, and even vitriolic mode. These poems are about being and longing, belonging and not belonging in the world, past or present, now or then. They are about having and not having a home to go to. Haunted by the rapt, rural and wilderness gaze of childhood, youth and young manhood, the poems in Now, Then express worlds and times past of immediate sensual being and seeing 'then' - 'bubble-rapt' - in a 'sound-warp...like a dipper submerged in a rushing pool' - before the world caught up with their author: now counting his blessings, cursing his luck as time flies faster in life's dark wood. Andrew McNeillie was born in North Wales and read English at Magdalen College, Oxford before becoming an editor and publisher. For many years he was literature editor at Oxford University Press. He has also held a chair in English at Exeter University where he is now Emeritus Professor. He is the ... read more Praise for Andrew McNeillie 'A living poetic language flows, easy and slangyâ¦the occasional poems which punctuate the later part of the collection are vitalized and real, among them elegies that remember mourning his fatherâs death, and other deaths, which ring true, urged into being by poetry itself.' Gillian Clarke 'The finest poems here are witty and elegiac, comforting and cajoling and speak of pervading human concerns with a rare lyrical ease and quiet authority. McNeillieâs special gift is for providing the pleasure that comes from recognition: we can see ourselves in his poems. The book carries an epigram from Wordsworth, and there is a Wordsworthian sense of audience and connection in this collection.' Times Literary Supplement 'There is some extraordinary virtuosity here â in one poem, he finds 33 half-rhymes for 'envy'. John Greening, Country Life	Share this... Quick Links Carcanet Celebrates 50 Years! Anvil Press Poetry Aspects of Portugal Audio Books Carcanet Classics Carcanet Fiction Carcanet Film Carcanet Poetry FyfieldBooks Lintott Press Little Island Press Lives and Letters OxfordPoets PN Review Sheep Meadow Press The Carcanet Blog Jenny King: Moving Day read more Iain Crichton Smiths New Music: John Greening read more John Gallas: The Extasie read more Roped to Catullus: Isobel Williams read more New Poetries VIII: Vahni Capildeo on Padraig Regan read more Louise Glck: On Realism read more
We thank the Arts Council England for their support and assistance in this interactive Project.
Privacy Statement Sitemap RSS Feeds Home Events Authors Titles Imprints Information Resources This website ©2000-2021 Carcanet Press Ltd