message from the memoirist
ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARC SHANKER
ECHO
Brooklyn 1951
a kid standing
in the dark basement
of his father’s
house
whispers
words he will repeat
to himself
for a lifetime
I will be a furnace
in the shadows
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“Some thoughts on MESSAGE FROM THE MEMOIRIST: It is rare to find a poet so attuned to silence, that time—and space—between words, which for Paul Pines is “the abyss / of mind-before-thought.” His practice is to listen for patterns in the silence, which turn to whispers and then into these wise poems.”
“If the origin of consciousness is a wound, would it not be logical that someone looking back might observe that life has been mostly sadness with moments of joy? What to do with such a conclusion? Perhaps there’d be time to lighten the darkness by forging the “ability to contain the tears in things.” Paul Pines does just this in MESSAGE FROM THE MEMOIRIST. The “Memoirist” as defined by Pines “understands that Memory is not a bin where pieces are stored and retrieved but a field in which the Soul’s narrative continues to unfold.” Poems—such as the ones in this book—are resonant effects of a Soul’s unfolding.”
“In this remarkable new collection, Paul Pines continues to map the profound confusions and marvels of modern existence. From the quantum to the cosmological, nothing is beyond Pines’ incisive gaze. Whether contemplating the quotidian or the miraculous, Pines’ lines are at once lyrical and precise. Accompanied by the masterful pen-and-ink and collage-work of artist Marc Shanker, MESSAGE FROM THE MEMOIRIST is a delight for the mind, ear, and eye.”
About the Artist
Marc Shanker worked in isolation for almost 15 years developing his unique style and content. Mr. Shanker paints, draws, constructs collages, and is a printmaker. He is the author of “Traces of Sepharad, Etchings of Judeo-Spanish Proverbs,” and a number of artist books, including: “But a Bubble,” and “Man: A Machine of Absurdities.” He is the founder of Gravity Free Press. His work can be found on Facebook, Flickr, and at www.Gravityfreepress.net. Mr. Shanker has an extensive exhibition history.
Reviewed
The Poems of Paul Pines by Louis Proyect in Counterpunch.