In, Through Alabaster

In this collection of poetry, 'In, Through Alabaster', Simon Stacey offers an eclectic range of subject matter, from the mundane, (the loss of an unfinished poem on a faulty memory stick), to the monumental, (a contemplation of how the Lincoln Memorial embodies that president's myth and reality). He vividly records the experience and nostalgia of childhood, particularly the leaving of it, the buying of a ring for his son's wedding and his preference for his wife's first, and unused, name. The architecture of Warsaw and an Italian Renaissance painting, both meticulously described, sit alongside a frayed shirt collar his aged mother can no longer see, and a West Midlands canal-side walk, beautifully and lyrically rendered. Throughout, we become aware of Stacey's curiosity and honesty, his reverence for beauty, and his readiness to explore the difficulties of human relationships. The influence of admired writers, including Elizabeth Jennings, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Tolkien and Blake, is deftly integrated, and will delight the experienced reader. Stylistically, Stacey is a virtuoso: he smoothly transitions between verse forms and skilfully adopts a range of voices and tones. The result is a serious and compelling body of work that strikes the reader at once with his intelligence and craftsmanship.