Warm thanks to Joseph Schreiber for writing about Glasshouses so thoughtfully:
[This] is a collection that feels intensely intimate and personal, in the sense that Barnes seems to be engaging directly with his reader, sharing his love of the poets who have guided him, directly or through his careful reading, drawing inspiration from his family and from his own experience as a gay man, and openly riffing on the influence of music and pop culture. The wide range of voices that emerge, together with the variety afforded by his delight in structure and form, allows for a reading experience that never falls into tired and predictable patterns.
And here’s Joe on the cento (my book includes five):
If a line that catches me short in a cento actually originates from another work, who owns the power? The poet who crystalized the image, or the poet who re-envisions it, a jewel among other salvaged (and fully credited) jewels? Or—and I should hope this is correct—both but in different ways?
You can read Joe’s full review here and buy a copy of Glasshouses here (use promo code CELEBRATE at checkout to receive free shipping, Australian and New Zealand shipping addresses only, offer ends midnight January 10).
Stuart Barnes 