
Coloratura On A Silence Found In Many Expressive Systems
Poems
Alice Fulton(Author)
WW Norton & Co (Publisher)
Published on 23. February 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
144 pages
978-1-324-07469-4 (ISBN)
Description
"I was living in a high-maintenance loneliness", Alice Fulton writes of a devastating accident, and her poems express both reverence and impatience as they search for a brightness palpable as the dark. The result is a brilliant coloratura on the senses. Fulton evokes phantom aromas of vanished perfumes, flowers fragrant only at night, and the ozone scent of snow; marvels at velvet paintings and chimerical colours outside the spectrum; and riffs on a mixtape of ambient sounds: applause, clinking glasses, spectral voices on the radio and the whispers of a mother to her children.
Coloratura On A Silence Found In Many Expressive Systems extends these tactile mysteries to existential questions of invisible miracles, connection, and faith in the face of silence: "By praying you, I create you", the poet informs an elusive God. Revelling in the stunning possibilities of language, Fulton seeks joy to counteract trauma and grief, empathises with the silent pathos of animals, and finds solace in art, friendship and the mysterious power of gifts. Without denying suffering, this enthralling volume extends a fervent prayer for gratitude and healing.
Coloratura On A Silence Found In Many Expressive Systems extends these tactile mysteries to existential questions of invisible miracles, connection, and faith in the face of silence: "By praying you, I create you", the poet informs an elusive God. Revelling in the stunning possibilities of language, Fulton seeks joy to counteract trauma and grief, empathises with the silent pathos of animals, and finds solace in art, friendship and the mysterious power of gifts. Without denying suffering, this enthralling volume extends a fervent prayer for gratitude and healing.
Reviews / Votes
"Fulton is one of the wisest and most insightful poets in the country. The profundity of her verse sometimes comes through long explorations, sometimes in single lines. 'To witness constant miracle is a distraction,' she writes. Let yourself be distracted by her." -- Ron Charles - The Washington Post Book Club "Joy and grief circle warily in this nimble collection from one of America's marquee poets, who balances philosophical intensity with deft wordplay." -- The New York Times Book ReviewMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 206 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
159 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-324-07469-4 (9781324074694)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
09/2022
W. W. Norton & Company
€14.49
Available for download
Person
Alice Fulton is the author of ten books. Her honors include a MacArthur Fellowship, the Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry from the Library of Congress, and an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award. She lives in central New York.