Exploring the interplay between nature and human experience, this collection opens with a poem reflecting on the powerful forces of a Northeastern storm. Paul Mariani delves into themes of time and history, confronting life's harsh realities. He embodies the artistic ethos of Akira Kurosawa, emphasizing the importance of facing challenges rather than turning away. Through vivid imagery and profound contemplation, Mariani invites readers to engage with the complexities of existence and the beauty found within turmoil.
Exploring the intersection of the sacred and the everyday, this collection of poetry addresses social and historical issues, including the struggles of the marginalized and the impact of war. It emphasizes the significance of family and friendship, particularly during times of illness and despair. The poems convey a message of resilience, highlighting the dual roles of beauty and humor as essential elements that help navigate life's challenges.
Paul Mariani has spent fifty years writing poetry that celebrates the vibrant sacramentality of life in the twilight of Modernity, and writing the lives of some of our greatest modern poets. This is a life-spanning collection of his prose explorations of what it means to be a person of wonder and imagination.
Making the Best of Things is a record of the experiences of its author, Len Williams, over a period of more than thirty years. His narrative opens with a vivid and engaging memoir of childhood and adolescence in Camberwell during the 1910s and early 1920s, and culminates in a personal and anecdotal history of the Second World War, during which he served with the Auxiliary Fire Service and with an RAF Maintenance Unit (60 MU) based in Yorkshire and other parts of England. The central chapters are concerned with the changing fortunes of the Williams family during the 1920s and 1930s, offering an evocative account of the era of the Depression from the perspective of one who toiled, with little hope of advancement, as part of London's army of shopworkers. Williams presents these memoirs as a candid history of his family, and more particularly as his testimony with regard to an extraordinary and disturbing family secret uncovered in the wake of his father's death. The scope of the work quickly broadens, however, to form a rich and detailed panorama of his surroundings in Camberwell, one that pays special attention to the places he knew intimately, including Stobart Mansions, Kimpton Mission, the United Kingdom Tea Company and the Camberwell Green branch of the Royal Arsenal Cooperative Society. Making the Best of Things is a meticulous and absorbing recreation of a lost world, offering masterful descriptions of the rituals and routines of ordinary life as Williams knew it, as well as first-hand accounts of many of the more momentous episodes in London's history, including Zeppelin raids, Armistice Night, the General Strike and the Blitz.
The biography delves into the life and works of William Carlos Williams, highlighting his significant contributions to 20th-century poetry. It explores his dual career as a physician and poet, showcasing how his medical practice influenced his artistic vision. The narrative captures his relationships with contemporaries and his role in the modernist movement, offering insights into his creative process and the themes that permeate his poetry. This comprehensive account presents a vivid portrait of Williams, illuminating his legacy in American literature.
