On an unlikely pilgrimage, a cycling tour to find a poet’s unmarked crib, Jane Simpson discovers a landscape at once less Romantic, and more lyrical than the ‘unspoilt Nature’ seen by tourists at scenic spots. Unexpected turns draw the reader into the worlds of goddess religions, pre-contact Māori society and western Christianity; and into the intimate world of family relationships. In the final section, where the sun and stars sing at the marriage of gay people in the Church, Wordsworth’s piano is tuned to the harmony of the spheres.
Tuning Wordsworth’s Piano is Jane Simpson second title from Interactive Press.
IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) –
Jane Simpson’s new collection of poems is a gift for her elderly father, a retired Professor of Fine Arts, silversmith, bibliophile. How are we to remember a lifetime together? Perhaps as ‘a lacquered bowl, chipped, like memories.’ Herein is poetry as the servant of time, as the heart of a daughter.
– Bernadette Hall
IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) –
A remarkably consistent expression of intelligent feeling. Jane Simpson has a very deft way of conflating landscape with language, instanced in the lively ‘cycling the Catlins’ sequence. Honest, unabashed religious poems are also a refreshing component. On the evidence of this volume, she has further strengths ahead of her.
– Tony Beyer