A Primer on Parallel Lives

By Dan Gerber

Book Overview

"Dan Gerber tenderly reels his readers through the 'beautiful movie' he calls the passing of time on earth in a language completely unadorned and Zen-like in its quietude. The thing itself carries the weight of these poems, which recall the deep imagery of Vallejo, Neruda and Wright."--Rain Taxi

"Gerber's got a Spanish soul. A bloody, dusty, old Spanish soul. He's got Machado, Lorca, and Jim eacute;nez all rolled up in him. And when he does the lyric, or the meditative, it speaks to the universe and to us."--Line Break

Dan Gerber is a master of layered, bittersweet imagery. In his seventh book of poems, he writes of childhood misgivings and fears, the oak savannah landscape of California's central coast, and a near-mystical relationship with nature. As novelist John Nichols once wrote of Gerber's poetry, "Dan Gerber has an exquisitely muted, yet profound understanding of tragedy, love, family, and the haunting vagaries of nature."

"Some Distance"

I wanted to be a stone in the field,
simply that,
and then I wanted to be the grass around it,
and then the cattle grazing
under the too blue sky,
and then the blue,
which has of itself
no substance,
and yet goes on and on and on.

Dan Gerber is the author of a dozen books of poetry, fiction, essays, and memoir. He has earned the Mark Twain Award, Book of the Year honors from ForeWord Magazine, and inclusion in The Best American Poetry. He lives in Santa Ynez, California.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1556592531
• ISBN13: 9781556592539
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Copper Canyon Press
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 2.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.9" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Dan Gerber is a National Treasure

I've been reading Dan's books for many years and found this new collection as necessary as air and water. He never stops looking at things, and never stops asking us, gently, to stop long enough in our lives to honor the moments they're made of. I praise the peace in this fine book, his careful way of observation, the patience of what it means to be a witness to finding out as William Stafford says, "what the world is trying to be." These are poems to be read as gateways into that other world, the one riding right beside us which we sometimes have trouble comprehending, let alone seeing.

A Writer's Writer

Copper Canyon Press has finally released a new volume of poetry by Dan Gerber and not a minute to soon. Gerber is considered a "Writer's Writer" and thought to be one of the most readable poets practicing today. This, his seventh book of poetry, focuses on his childhood fears, the geography of the California central coast, and his special relationship with nature. These are not new topics for poets. What is special about this work is Gerber's ability to view everyday images and impressions and, using his acute powers of observation, turn ordinary experiences into passion, intimacy, and a vision that will surprise, even startle, the reader. A must have for poetry aficionados.