Short Histories of Light (Volume 42) (Hugh MacLennan Poetry Series)

Shiver. Swift whip of wind. / Fangs of the low front / stinging fierce as forest fires. / Frost thickening the stoop. In his debut collection, Short Histories of Light, Aidan Chafe recounts his Catholic upbringing in a household dealing with the common but too often taboo subject of mental illness. In unflinching fashion, Chafe reveals the unintended disasters that follow those who struggle with depression and the frustration of loved ones left to pick up the pieces. Other sections of the book shine a light on the wounds inflicted by systems of patriarchy, particularly organized religion, and the caustic nature of humanity. Imagery and metaphor illuminate Chafe’s writing in a range of poetic forms, both modern and traditional. A boy stares helplessly through the walls of the family home, watches “filaments in glass skulls buzzing.” A father’s birthmark is described as a “scarlet letter.” Grandma is portrayed as a “forgotten girl on a Ferris wheel of feelings.” Vivid and haunting, at once tender and terse, Short Histories of Light captures what it feels like to be a short circuit in a world of darkness. "In his debut collection, Short Histories of Light, Aidan Chafe recounts his Catholic upbringing in a household dealing with the common but too often taboo subject of mental illness. In unflinching fashion, Chafe reveals the unintended disasters that follow those who struggle with depression and the frustration of loved ones left to pick up the pieces. Other sections of the book shine a light on the wounds inflicted by systems of patriarchy, particularly organized religion, and the caustic nature of humanity. Imagery and metaphor illuminate Chafe's writing in a range of poetic forms, both modern and traditional. A boy stares helplessly through the walls of the family home, watches "filaments in glass skulls buzzing." A father's birthmark is described as a "scarlet letter." Grandma is portrayed as a "forgotten girl on a Ferris wheel of feelings." Vivid and haunting, at once tender and terse, Short Histories of Light captures what it feels like to be a short circuit in a world of darkness."-- Provided by publisher Cover Copyright Contents BREATHING LESSONS THETIS DISCONNECTION FATHER’S HAND NIGHT OWL BREATHING LESSONS GRANDMA’S APARTMENT RITA DIARY OF A REDHEAD PSYCH WARD HYMNAL MAJOR HELL HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FIRE A SHORT HISTORY OF LIGHT MUTE SWAN CHIEF BROOM IGNORING PRESENCE OF MIND NATURE’S WARD PSYCH WARD HYMNAL CALCULATIONS FOR CATHOLICS WHY GOD IS A FATHER ABRAHAM GOSPEL ACCORDING TO UNCLE PETER OUR FATHER CALCULATIONS FOR CATHOLICS GENUFLECTION MIKE LOST LAMBS JESUS LIZARD MINDING THE GAP ON THE ORIGIN OF APPLES UNSETTLEMENT DEPENDENCY DAY VEGASTRICTION SALMON FISHING UNSETTLEMENT PUNJABI SCHOOLYARD MADE IN INDONESIA AT THE CORNER OF HOWE AND HASTINGS COMMUTE after Raoul Fernandes SIMILKAMEEN DREAM SHARPEST TOOTH FOXHOLE DIARY HYANNIS THE WOODS WEATHER HUNTER SHARPEST TOOTH RED, HAVING RENDERED DAUGHTERLY ADVICE TRAITORSPOTTING INCISIONS FIRESTARTERS HOUSEBOAT PAS DE DEUX PORTRAIT OF A BOY AS MIST ANATOMY OF CHAOS ACCIDENT PROLOGUE TO ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY Notes Acknowledgments "In his debut collection, Aidan Chafe recounts his Catholic upbringing in a household dealing with the common but too often taboo subject of mental illness. In unflinching fashion, Chafe reveals the unintended disasters that follow those who struggle with depression and the frustration of loved ones left to pick up the pieces. Other sections of the book shine a light on the wounds inflicted by systems of patriarchy, particularly organized religion, and the caustic nature of humanity. Imagery and metaphor illuminate Chafe's writing in a range of poetic forms, both modern and traditional."--Résumé de l'éditeur Vivid, Haunting, And Rhythmical, These Poems Illuminate The Struggles Of Mental Illness And Uncover The Sinister Side Of Religion. Breathing Lessons -- Psych Ward Hymnal -- Calculations For Catholics -- Unsettlement -- Sharpest Tooth. Aidan Chafe. "Vivid, haunting, and rhythmical, these poems illuminate the struggles of mental illness and uncover the sinister side of religion."--Résumé de l'éditeur