Dome of the Hidden Pavilion // James Tate's Final Book

I was introduced

to the work

of author James Tate

two years

after his death.

The notable poet

(who won

the Pulitzer Price

in 1990)

passed away

in 2015,

the same year

that he released

his final book

of prose poems,

Dome of the Hidden Pavilion.

Equal parts absurd,

insightful, bonkers,

and wise, the stories

that Tate delivers

are full of entertaining

tales, often involving

a man and his imagination

inside Small Town, Nowhere.

Anything can happen

and everything does happen,

but never as it seems.

Houses blow up,

parakeets are paranoid,

war is always

right around the corner,

and African spears

appear out of thin air.

Think Edson, think Simic,

think Animaniacs.

While it's my introduction

into the work of Tate

(I never know where

to start with a prolific

bibliography),

I plan to read

plenty more

during the remainder

of 2017 and beyond.

Up next: Reckoner

and Amnesia People.

Rest well,

ol' wordsmith.