One of The New York Times' 10 Favorite Poetry Books of 2014
National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
A searing new collection from one of our country's most important poets
Memories mercies
mostly aren't
but there were
I swear
days
veined with grace
—from "Memory's Mercies"
Once in the West, Christian Wiman's fourth collection, is as intense and intimate as poetry gets—from the "suffering of primal silence" that it plumbs to the "rockshriek of joy" that it achieves and enables. Readers of Wiman's earlier books will recognize the sharp characterizations and humor—"From her I learned the earthworm's exemplary open-mindedness, / its engine of discriminate shit"—as well as his particular brand of reverent rage: "Lord if I implore you please just please leave me alone / is that a prayer that's every instant answered?" But there is something new here, too: moving love poems to his wife, tender glimpses of his children, and, amid the onslaughts of illness and fear and failures, "a trace / of peace."
- Spring Cleaning
- The More People I Meet, the More I Love My Dog
- Staff Reads 2024
- Life on Our Planet
- BIPOC Memoirs
- Celebrate the Freedom to Read!
- Washington State Authors
- Great Book Group Picks
- Always Available Classics
- Available now eBooks
- Just Added eBooks
- Most popular
- All eBooks
- See all
- March eAudio
- Available now Audiobooks
- Just Added Audiobooks
- Radio Dramas
- Audie Awards 2024
- Hear the Dark Academia
- Listen While You Run: Audiobooks for Workouts
- Read by a Celeb
- Quick Stories
- Award Winning Audiobooks
- Audiobooks for your Commute
- Most popular
- All Audiobooks
- See all
- News & Politics
- Celebrity
- Health & Fitness
- Food & Wine
- Fashion
- Tech & Gaming
- Business & Finance
- Revistas
- Cars & Motorcycles
- Home & Garden
- See all