Dog Language
Dog Language
- Author: Chase Twichell
- Binding: Paperback
- Publisher: Copper Canyon Press
- Published: 2005-09-01
- Edition: 1st
Over the past 25 years, Twichell's reputation and reach has broadened with each new book. She is a poet whose books are anticipated and consistently receive stellar national review attention:
"A major voice in contemporary poetry."--Publishers Weekly
"A poet with a dazzling and profound imagination."--Library Journal
"An extraordinary poet whose lyrics plumb great intellectual and emotional depths."--The Miami Herald
"There is a . . . Zen-like lucidity to [Twichell's] poetry."--The Washington Post
Dog Language addresses the Zen question "What is the self?" in the modern age, where individual identity is questioned, medicated, and revised. Chase Twichell's tightly drawn poems move through the stages of human development and capture the complex emotions and challenges of family and aging.
Like the best of artists, Twichell is able to handle common themes and emotions without ever reducing them to clich or sentiment. She reminds us of "The Rules" she uses in her poems: "Tell the truth. No decoration. Remember death." In one of the most poignant sections of Dog Language, she writes of her father's death and asks what, if anything, survives us:
From Dog Biscuits
After my father's cremation,
my sisters and I agreed
to bury him privately
when the ground thawed.
One will plant a flowering tree,
one see to the stone and its cutting,
one call the grave-digger and the town clerk.
It'll be just us, the daughters,
presiding over ashes that could be
any mammal's, or those of any love
dispersible by wind.
Chase Twichell is the author of six books of poems and a book of translations and is the co-author of the best-selling guidebook The Practice of Poetry. She taught for several years at Princeton University before starting Ausable Press, a publisher dedicated to contemporary literature. She lives with her husband, the novelist Russell Banks, in the Adirondacks.
The More Than Words double bottom line: Every purchase provides hands on job training opportunities, and all revenue supports our nonprofit to empower youth to take charge of their lives.
Shipping Info
Shipping Info
We offer standard and express shipping starting at $5.99. Live local? We offer local pickup on select items at our Boston Store and Mobile Bookstore location.
Returns
Returns
We accept returns within 30 days of purchase for a refund. Simply reach out to us if you have any trouble with your order.
Care Instructions
Care Instructions
We are here to help with any questions or concerns you may have at any time. Reach out to us and we can't wait to help!
can't find what you are looking for...
We Can HelpJoin our list to learn more about our mission We promise never to sell your information to another party and we promise we won't spam your inbox!