Description: In, The Star-Brushed Horizon, Don Gutteridge looks at his boyhood days, in the village of Point Edward, Ontario, with a wry and nostalgic eye. Further on in the book there are poems about his family and friends, including those whom he has lost.
Brief description: Don Gutteridge is the author of almost 60 books: poetry, fiction and scholarly works in educational theory and practice. He was born in Sarnia, Ontario and raised in the nearby village of Point Edward. He graduated from Western University with an Honours English degree. He taught school for seven years and then joined Western's Faculty of Education. There he taught English methods for twenty-five years and is now Professor Emeritus. He won the 1972 UWO President's Medal for the best periodical poem of that year. "Death At Quebec." His poetry collection Coppermine was short-listed for the 1973 Governor General's Literary Award. To listen to interviews with the author, go to: http: //thereandthen.podbean.com.
Review Quotes:
The Star-Brushed Horizon by Don Gutteridge is a gorgeous collection of poems that are intimate and that capture beautiful images from the poet's life. Each poem is short, a stanza, a burst of joy, a feeling of bewilderment captured in words, a sensation of love, a communion with places and people. One of my favorite poems in this collection is "Jury," a thoughtful musing at the sunset of life from a man looking back without regret, content with the life he has lived. It is short, like most of the poems, and written with a peculiar rhythm that condenses a variety of images and ideas into one poetic stanza.
The Star-Brushed Horizon features powerful themes of growing up, friendship, family, and dreams, and evokes the powerful sense of nostalgia that often grips the human spirit in the wistful hours of the day as they look back to the past. It is deeply human, exploring the different climates of a soul and arousing in readers some of the memories of their own lives. I loved the spiritual and human depth infused into these poetic lines. I got the impression that this author celebrates every breath of life in his poetry.
Romuald Dzemo