Description: Joshua Beckman's new book, A Guide for Making Fragments from Diaries, gathers poems found or made in various forms--chapter summaries of non-existent books, body poems, an assemblage of his mother's remarks while painting his portrait, lists of thoughts and things (one of all the uninvited animals and insects who entered his house over the course of a year!). The book culminates with the guide, including light instructions toward finding fragments within a notebook or diary.
Review Quotes: Previous praise:
Beckman wistfully takes to the road and does the incredible work of writing poems full of desire, for a world in the midst of radical upheaval.
If you take a broad squint at our nation's new poets you can find two general strategies: poets who are carrying the torch, and poets who are using it to start fires. And then we have Joshua Beckman. He seems to be doing everything.
Daniel Handler, The Believer