The Occasions of Paradise: Poems

by John Blair

Winner of the Tampa Review Prize in Poetry
Tampa Review judges commented that The Occasions of Paradise “lives up to its title with ample moments of near perfection, both in its individual poems and in the book as a whole.”
“The poems are filled with lyrical abundance. The cadences uplift and inspire,” the judges wrote. “Each poem is not only terrific on its own, but is skillfully placed and arranged to contribute to a perfectly satisfying collection. The sheer abundance of creative energy in this book—the beauty of poem after poem at once spontaneous and brilliantly constructed—mirrors the deft hand of a creator that inspires with awe, transports with beauty, and puzzles with questions.”

73 pages, Unknown Binding

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

John Blair is the author of the award winning collection of short stories American Standard, which won the Drue Heinz Literature Award, one of the world's most prestigious prizes for short fiction, as well as three prize-winning collections of poetry, Playful Song Called Beautiful, The Green Girls and The Occasions of Paradise, and two novels, A Landscape of Darkness and Bright Angel.

He lives in Texas, with his wife and son.