The Smallest Bird in North America / Edition 1

by Robert Grunst

Overview

Poetry. "With the observational eye of Charles Darwin and the soul of John Muir, Robert Grunst...takes us on a journey of the flora and fauna of his life in the Midwest and West"—Mary Swander. "Mixing scientific knowledge with lyrical panache, Grunst offers us a wealth of colorful (and memorable) fact... and he has a live, surprising language for what lies beyond facts, too, finding... that a bucket drowned in Clear Lake can remain 'shining and surer than the risen Christ.' One of his most hauntingly evocative poems ends with the phrase, 'infinitesimal treasures of the sea.' It is a phrase that aptly describes the rich lyrical and meditative sea-harvest of this remarkable first collection"—Eamon Grennan.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780932826961
Publisher:	New Issues Poetry and Prose
Publication date:	10/01/2000
Series:	New Issues Poetry and Prose Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	62
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

ROBERT GRUNST was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was raised there and in Holland, Michigan. He taught 9th grade English in Midland, Michigan, and later worked as a deckhand and as an engineer aboard commercial fishing vessels on Lakes Michigan and Superior. He holds an M.F.A., an M.A.W., and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He has published many essays focusing on the language, culture, and history of Great Lakes commercial fishing people. His poems have appeared in The Iowa Review, Poetry Northwest, Prairie Schooner, The Review, and elsewhere. He is an Associate Professor English at The College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minnesota.

What People are Saying About This

Mary Swander

“With the observational eye of Charles Darwin and the soul of John Muir, Robert Grunst is a first-rate naturalist. He takes us on a journey of the flora and fauna of his life in the Midwest and West, from the orchards of Michigan, to the waves of Lake Superior, to the grasses of Wyoming. Grunst focuses on the small object—the smelt, the bat, the morning-glory, the peach and pickled pear—to open up the larger vistas of his landscapes. The Smallest Bird in North America flies an intricate course, carries us a long distance.”

Editorial Reviews

Grunst is an admirable craftsperson with a fine, discriminating ear.”—Vince Gotera, North American Review

From the Publisher