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Some Other Garden
An internationally celebrated novelist today, Jane Urquhart began her literary career as a poet. Some Other Garden brings together in a special new edition, illustrated by the beautiful photographs of Jennifer Dickson, two of Urquhart’s early poetry collections. These poems centre on another time and place while vividly evoking life in the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV, as seen through the dispassionate eyes of one of his most influential mistresses, Madame de Montespan. Set amidst the ornate gardens and backrooms of the palace of Versailles, the poems brilliantly map the play of desire, vanity, dominance, and mortality that transpires within a king’s garden.
From the chateau at Marly and the machinations of the court at Versailles, to the worms that play their final game of love beneath the statues in the garden, Urquhart renders the intrigues of court and romantic entanglement with startling imagery and astonishing craftsmanship. Some Other Garden is a dazzling work of imagination from one of Canada’s most beloved writers.
From the chateau at Marly and the machinations of the court at Versailles, to the worms that play their final game of love beneath the statues in the garden, Urquhart renders the intrigues of court and romantic entanglement with startling imagery and astonishing craftsmanship. Some Other Garden is a dazzling work of imagination from one of Canada’s most beloved writers.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published September 23, 2000
2 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Jane Urquhart
42 books385 followersShe is the author of seven internationally acclaimed novels entitled, The Whirlpool, Changing Heaven, Away, The Underpainter, The Stone Carvers, A Map of Glass, and Sanctuary Line.
The Whirlpool received the French Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger (Best Foreign Book Award). Away was winner of the Trillium Book Award and a finalist for the prestigious International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. The Underpainter won the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction and was a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.
The Stone Carvers was a finalist for the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award, and was longlisted for the Booker Prize. A Map of Glass was a finalist for a regional Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book.
She is also the author of a collection of short fiction, Storm Glass, and four books of poetry, I Am Walking in the Garden of His Imaginary Palace, False Shuffles, The Little Flowers of Madame de Montespan, and Some Other Garden. Her work has been translated into numerous foreign languages.
Urquhart has received the Marian Engel Award, Calgary's Bob Edwards Award and the Harbourfront Festival Prize, and is a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France. In 2005 she was named an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Recently, she was named the 2007 Banff Distinguished Writer.
Urquhart has received numerous honorary doctorates from Canadian universities and has been writer-in-residence at the University of Ottawa and at Memorial University of Newfoundland, the University of Toronto, and the University of Guelph.
She has also given readings and lectures in Canada, Britain, Europe, the U.S.A., and Australia.
In 2007 she edited and published The Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories, and in 2009 she published a biography of
Lucy Maud Montgomery as part of Penguin’s “Extraordinary Canadians” series.
Urquhart lives in Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada, and occasionally in Ireland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Urq...
The Whirlpool received the French Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger (Best Foreign Book Award). Away was winner of the Trillium Book Award and a finalist for the prestigious International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. The Underpainter won the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction and was a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.
The Stone Carvers was a finalist for the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award, and was longlisted for the Booker Prize. A Map of Glass was a finalist for a regional Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book.
She is also the author of a collection of short fiction, Storm Glass, and four books of poetry, I Am Walking in the Garden of His Imaginary Palace, False Shuffles, The Little Flowers of Madame de Montespan, and Some Other Garden. Her work has been translated into numerous foreign languages.
Urquhart has received the Marian Engel Award, Calgary's Bob Edwards Award and the Harbourfront Festival Prize, and is a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France. In 2005 she was named an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Recently, she was named the 2007 Banff Distinguished Writer.
Urquhart has received numerous honorary doctorates from Canadian universities and has been writer-in-residence at the University of Ottawa and at Memorial University of Newfoundland, the University of Toronto, and the University of Guelph.
She has also given readings and lectures in Canada, Britain, Europe, the U.S.A., and Australia.
In 2007 she edited and published The Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories, and in 2009 she published a biography of
Lucy Maud Montgomery as part of Penguin’s “Extraordinary Canadians” series.
Urquhart lives in Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada, and occasionally in Ireland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Urq...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 28, 2018
An interesting perspective of how nature persists and we fade; capturing the sense of the fragments of artifact that remain alongside the garden. Jane captures The Estate of Trianon described as 'the place of intimacy' as such for the royal family and as a palace and garden oasis for mistresses of The King.
Such beautiful descriptions allow us to picture vividly the gardens of Versailles. I enjoyed the mix of longer stories, anonymous journal entries and poetry.
The play of light on everything inside in 'Shadow' reflect nature's prominence even inside. I also enjoyed Bright Rumours.
The pictures also add context and I referenced the index afterwards to place them in relation to the entire landscape of the poems.
Such beautiful descriptions allow us to picture vividly the gardens of Versailles. I enjoyed the mix of longer stories, anonymous journal entries and poetry.
The play of light on everything inside in 'Shadow' reflect nature's prominence even inside. I also enjoyed Bright Rumours.
The pictures also add context and I referenced the index afterwards to place them in relation to the entire landscape of the poems.
April 8, 2016
As a whole I didn't love it. The 'artificial fire' chapter had a nice flow and rhythm to all the poems. I especially liked the break from traditional poetry style and the use of paragraphs to tell stories in two pages. My favourite one of those was 'The Vermilion box' I found the paragraphs poetic and interesting in form. For me personally there was too much about fountains and gardens and maybe I could have considered that would happen as its title clearly says its about a garden - I just didn't take the garden part literally when I picked up the book.
January 22, 2022
At night the window glass
reveals the self
the lamps cause fire
in the facets of my jewellery
and at my throat
bright rumours whisper
outside the garden turns away
and the windowpanes
reveal ourselves
outside
there is a gulf of darkness
where everything is watching
the other worlds have
vanished
in the morning
we're unable to see
* * *
A necessary pause
precedes the performance
just before dawn
splits open to morning
the hard morning pauses
they have held your shirt
caressed your stockings
pauses
moments turn back
those eyes that sweep
the crowd
they carry your relics
contemplate fountains
footsteps leave no traces
and the handwriting is burned
* * *
The doctors come blindfolded
into the palace
they deliver babies
borne by masked women
anonymous screaming flesh
children
pulled from the womb
torn from the arms
the anonymous
flesh of the palace
taken to grow in
some other garden
next evening
the women perform at the ball
prepare their cards for the table
tiny fists
close up in their brains
* * *
Autumn
false gold falling on actuality
stone walls all around
summer hid the prison
the perfect palace
draped in green and growing
overtop the stairs
winter now
and every word is opened
syllables ride to the horizon
in the grim hands of the post
false gold covers gravel
nothing hides in green
this palace
this prison
built in time
to silence
every loss I speak
reveals the self
the lamps cause fire
in the facets of my jewellery
and at my throat
bright rumours whisper
outside the garden turns away
and the windowpanes
reveal ourselves
outside
there is a gulf of darkness
where everything is watching
the other worlds have
vanished
in the morning
we're unable to see
- Bright Rumours, pg. 12
* * *
A necessary pause
precedes the performance
just before dawn
splits open to morning
the hard morning pauses
they have held your shirt
caressed your stockings
pauses
moments turn back
those eyes that sweep
the crowd
they carry your relics
contemplate fountains
footsteps leave no traces
and the handwriting is burned
- Necessary Pause, pg. 37
* * *
The doctors come blindfolded
into the palace
they deliver babies
borne by masked women
anonymous screaming flesh
children
pulled from the womb
torn from the arms
the anonymous
flesh of the palace
taken to grow in
some other garden
next evening
the women perform at the ball
prepare their cards for the table
tiny fists
close up in their brains
- Some Other Garden, pg. 45
* * *
Autumn
false gold falling on actuality
stone walls all around
summer hid the prison
the perfect palace
draped in green and growing
overtop the stairs
winter now
and every word is opened
syllables ride to the horizon
in the grim hands of the post
false gold covers gravel
nothing hides in green
this palace
this prison
built in time
to silence
every loss I speak
- Silenced, pg. 65
May 22, 2024
"A goblet full of memories. An urn for everything/forgotten." - from the poem "Museum" (p. 7)
Canadian novelist Jane Urquhart leads the reader on a historical and haunting poetic journey through the "ornate gardens and backrooms of the palace of Versailles". I could feel the "Dust on satin/the soft hems of my clothing" (p. 81) and hear "the rasping cough of chisel on the marble" (p. 86).
Her descriptions are vivid and her strong lines dance with rich metaphors and rhythm.
Call it a waltz with the past, with a little poison and a glass coffin to add to the mystique.
One of my favourite lines appears in "Venetian Condoliers at Versailles": "Sometimes at night they dream that their bloodstreams/have become canals, moving outwards to the sea." (p 13)
Canadian novelist Jane Urquhart leads the reader on a historical and haunting poetic journey through the "ornate gardens and backrooms of the palace of Versailles". I could feel the "Dust on satin/the soft hems of my clothing" (p. 81) and hear "the rasping cough of chisel on the marble" (p. 86).
Her descriptions are vivid and her strong lines dance with rich metaphors and rhythm.
Call it a waltz with the past, with a little poison and a glass coffin to add to the mystique.
One of my favourite lines appears in "Venetian Condoliers at Versailles": "Sometimes at night they dream that their bloodstreams/have become canals, moving outwards to the sea." (p 13)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews