Retail 2011: Brick Books

Reviewed by Jacob McArthur Mooney (Vox Populism, January 16, 2011)

The second press up in the rotation this year is Brick Books. Brick led off last year, and now are batting second, in what I’d like to call the “Robbie Alomar” platoon.

Brick’s usual pattern is four in the spring and three in the fall. So ambitious. This is what’s fresh in 2011. Keep an eye out for these poets on the company’s new Audioboo profile.

Title: Outskirts
Author: Sue Goyette
Release Date: April
Collection: Third
Timespan Since Last Book: Seven Years
Editor-Approved Bumfspeak:”Sue Goyette’s outskirts is a tour de force. Its originality lies in Goyette’s refusal of despair, her conviction that the connections among people, their conversation, curiosity, empathy and awe, can help us see a way forward. Her aim is to find energy in human love, a way to walk the darkness rather than hide from it. This book will name you, and frighten you; make you laugh, and arm you for what is to come.”
Blurbery: Molly Peacock says a lot, including “One of the best poets writing today in Canada…” and “magnificent” and “zesty!” John Steffler chimes in with: “Domestic and shamanic, these open-hearted poems are filled with the lift of discovery and insight.”
Google Pie: I admit that, if I had known about this book, it likely would have made my list of much anticipated 2011 titles, as Goyette’s last collection really wowed me. Here’s her poem in Prism that won this year’s Earle Birney Award. Here’s her jury citation for winning the 2008 CBC Literary Award and here’s a scan of the winning poems. Lastly, here’s a very readworthy review of Goyette’s Undone by Lorri Nielsen Glenn, as part of a three-way with books by Sue Sinclair and Al Moritz.

That’ll do it for Brick.

http://voxpopulism.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/retail-2011-brick-books/