The Glass Hammer: A Southern Childhood

by Andrew Hudgins

Book Overview

This autobiographical sequence of poems records the author's life from early childhood to adulthood, through the rebellions of his youth, the tragedy of his mother's death and the acceptance of his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395700108
• ISBN13: 9780395700105
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Length: 97 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

sublime

Hudgins is a great poet, and this is a great example of good metrical poetry (or good poetry of any kind) as well as a great example of a poetic memoir (or a memoir of any kind). Hudgins is a dark, elegant poet haunted by his past and his religion. I highly recommend this book.

My Favorite

I picked up Andrew Hudgins' "Glass Hammer" some years ago in a used book store, and since then, it's been one book of poetry I've returned to again and again and again. So much colorful memoir neatly packed into a scant 100 pages of gritty, downscale family history. To some extent, it reminds me of Joe Brainard's skeletal, "I Remember," but with a satisfying amount meat and potatoes on its bones. Though I wasn't raised in the South, Hudgin's childhood experiences are reminiscent of my own in a non-specific, indirect way. In addition to being a wonderful, compelling, return-to read on its own terms, I see it also as a valuable resource for those who want to write memoir. I heartily recommend this rich but spare book.