Desolation: Souvenir

I contenuti

At turns expressive and philosophically playful, two lengthy pieces of lyric proceduralism comprise this richly perceptive work. Originally conceived as the completion of an unfinished Mallarme work, the title poem seeks to fill in the gaps left in grief-stricken lines penned at the death of Mallarme's 10-year-old son. Turning to considerations of death, the breaking of family relations, and loss of love, the writing becomes an elegiac meditation on Hoover's own life and hauntingly mourns the loss of the Earth itself. Inspired by Wittgenstein's Tractatus, the companion piece The Windows (The Actual Acts) consists of a series of thoughtful propositions and reflections expressed through everyday language. A poet of wit and intelligence, Paul Hoover now establishes himself as a voice of deep emotional resonance and far-ranging vision.