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X: Poems
"X" is the kiss and betrayal, the embrace, the crucifixion, the mathematical unknown. In his sixth book of poems, James Galvin writes from a deep, philosophical engagement with the landscape and faces a "vertigo of solitude" with his marriage dissolved, his only daughter grown and gone, and the log house he built by hand abandoned. "What did I love that made me believe it would last?" he asks.
Something has to be true enough to be
Taken for granted.
In the hospital I saw
An old man
Caressing the face of an old woman.
This same man, young, caressed her face
In just that way.
That’s the stillness
At the center of change—
A sadness worth dying for, I swear—
There is no other.
—from "Dying into What I’ve Done"
"James Galvin has a voice and a world, perhaps the two most difficult things to achieve in poetry."—The Nation
"In James Galvin we have a superior poet."—American Book Review
"Galvin’s poems have the virtues of precise observation and original language, yes, but what he also brings to the table is a rigor of mind and firmness of phrasing which make the slightest of his poems an architectural pleasure."—Harvard Review
James Galvin has published five collections of poetry, most recently Resurrection Update: Collected Poems 1975–1997, which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the Lenore Marshall/The Nation Prize. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed prose book, The Meadow and a novel, Fencing the Sky. He lives in Laramie, Wyoming, where he works as a rancher part of each year, and in Iowa City, where he is a member of the permanent faculty of the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
Something has to be true enough to be
Taken for granted.
In the hospital I saw
An old man
Caressing the face of an old woman.
This same man, young, caressed her face
In just that way.
That’s the stillness
At the center of change—
A sadness worth dying for, I swear—
There is no other.
—from "Dying into What I’ve Done"
"James Galvin has a voice and a world, perhaps the two most difficult things to achieve in poetry."—The Nation
"In James Galvin we have a superior poet."—American Book Review
"Galvin’s poems have the virtues of precise observation and original language, yes, but what he also brings to the table is a rigor of mind and firmness of phrasing which make the slightest of his poems an architectural pleasure."—Harvard Review
James Galvin has published five collections of poetry, most recently Resurrection Update: Collected Poems 1975–1997, which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the Lenore Marshall/The Nation Prize. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed prose book, The Meadow and a novel, Fencing the Sky. He lives in Laramie, Wyoming, where he works as a rancher part of each year, and in Iowa City, where he is a member of the permanent faculty of the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
- GenresPoetry
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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177 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 27, 2009
I can't get enough of this man's writing.
Galvin's poetry is a captivating mix between the everyday, salt-of-the-earth and the more esoteric, man with a dictionary. Galvin writes in multiple registers.
The themes of the book also become much more than just the pain of divorce, of being and having an ex. The collapsing of time(s) transforms the x into a signifier of presence and absence. Here's a rough translation in my rusty Italian of part of the Dante that opens the collection: ...There is no greater pain than to remember the happy time in misery....
Time, emotion: times, emotions--the x is also an amplification of things. As always, excellent literature reminds of the "so muchness," if you will, of its life as a polished, whole thing and of life at large.
Particular favorites: "Cherry Blossoms Blowing in Wet, Blowing Snow" and the final sequence "1,2,3". But so many fabulous lines throughout: "Man under influence of sky"; "Most Samaritans, of course, are Bad"; "We're cruelest to those we love the most, we don't expect it"; "Being in love isn't about being happy"; "I knew the end would be gone before I got there."
It's a relief to be in such honest, genuine company, even if there's a lot of pain here.
Galvin's poetry is a captivating mix between the everyday, salt-of-the-earth and the more esoteric, man with a dictionary. Galvin writes in multiple registers.
The themes of the book also become much more than just the pain of divorce, of being and having an ex. The collapsing of time(s) transforms the x into a signifier of presence and absence. Here's a rough translation in my rusty Italian of part of the Dante that opens the collection: ...There is no greater pain than to remember the happy time in misery....
Time, emotion: times, emotions--the x is also an amplification of things. As always, excellent literature reminds of the "so muchness," if you will, of its life as a polished, whole thing and of life at large.
Particular favorites: "Cherry Blossoms Blowing in Wet, Blowing Snow" and the final sequence "1,2,3". But so many fabulous lines throughout: "Man under influence of sky"; "Most Samaritans, of course, are Bad"; "We're cruelest to those we love the most, we don't expect it"; "Being in love isn't about being happy"; "I knew the end would be gone before I got there."
It's a relief to be in such honest, genuine company, even if there's a lot of pain here.
November 20, 2007
You think God doesn’t have a tractor? / You think he doesn’t have a blighted field?
December 18, 2021
i think this is my new favorite book of poetry. my god you have to wait So Long for the story to lay down at your feet but when it does you understand everything—and you read the whole book waiting, waiting, until the symbol X makes sense—phenomenal. a recommendation as i work on my thesis. this book is everything and i am nothing.
January 5, 2020
One of the finest collections of poetry I've read this year. I admire Galvin's intense energy and occasional humor most.
October 6, 2015
Galvin seems to have an imagination and he definitely occupies/describes a world, but nothing adds up for me. The back of the book claims that it's a poetry where nothing is wasted, which makes sense in that with so many disconnected ideas next to each other, why throw any of them out? The whole thing is either a waste or none of it is.
I didn't see many compelling details or coherent ideas, especially in the first section. There are nice lines every once in awhile, just no context for them. The whole thing isn't necessarily a waste, but the movements of Galvin's poetic eye don't take me anywhere or show me anything except maybe a picture of a panorama of a dreamscape I'm too far removed from to get attached to.
Section I is a hodge podge that I'm sure someone has loosely summed up somewhere, Section II is the good "fuck love" stuff, and Section III is about a hole and then a subtle product placement for Redwing boots (he buys a new pair every year? Those things last forever!) and then a very sweet bit about hugs and kisses. The few gems I could find of the lot are "Double Rainbow," "Winter Solstice Full Moon At Perigee," "Depending On the Wind." Section II was definitely the best overall, as Galvin seemed to write with more of a direct goal in mind.
Perhaps the thing I'm bothered by most are the really amateur turns of phrase. Stuff like "slivers silvering" and "spooky spark" and "scanty sacred secret" are really lame. Maybe it's just his groups of s-words, but there are a lot of these throughout the book.
Like I said, Galvin has his world. I just don't know much about it.
I didn't see many compelling details or coherent ideas, especially in the first section. There are nice lines every once in awhile, just no context for them. The whole thing isn't necessarily a waste, but the movements of Galvin's poetic eye don't take me anywhere or show me anything except maybe a picture of a panorama of a dreamscape I'm too far removed from to get attached to.
Section I is a hodge podge that I'm sure someone has loosely summed up somewhere, Section II is the good "fuck love" stuff, and Section III is about a hole and then a subtle product placement for Redwing boots (he buys a new pair every year? Those things last forever!) and then a very sweet bit about hugs and kisses. The few gems I could find of the lot are "Double Rainbow," "Winter Solstice Full Moon At Perigee," "Depending On the Wind." Section II was definitely the best overall, as Galvin seemed to write with more of a direct goal in mind.
Perhaps the thing I'm bothered by most are the really amateur turns of phrase. Stuff like "slivers silvering" and "spooky spark" and "scanty sacred secret" are really lame. Maybe it's just his groups of s-words, but there are a lot of these throughout the book.
Like I said, Galvin has his world. I just don't know much about it.
May 13, 2010
"Because, you know, / Either you're going / To do it or / You're not. / Slight as light / Reflected from the stream / Onto the wavering / Willow leaves, / Eternal love / Doesn't need / Eternity, see?"
an excerpt from, "Promises Are For Liars"
One of my favorite books by, probably, my favorite poet.
an excerpt from, "Promises Are For Liars"
One of my favorite books by, probably, my favorite poet.
May 16, 2015
James Galvin delivers the hammer of love and lost in this splendid collection of poetry. His poems are both immediately gratifying and laden with intensity that won't stop dancing around your head. A punch in the face; a kiss on the neck. Shivers.
August 14, 2007
Some poems are blah, but the good poems are fucking great.
December 16, 2023
This is the first collection I've read from Galvin, but unfortunately, I think it will also probably be my last. While there's some lovely language and imagery here, it feels like a majority of the poems prioritize "sound" over "sense", and while further read-throughs might make them more clearer, there's nothing there really pulling me to put the work in. In other cases, the poems here are perfectly clear, but just not particularly striking. In a few cases, I started out truly enjoying a piece, only to find that the ending fell so flat as to mostly ruin it for me. And in other cases, even where form is clearly in play, it feels like the poems are nothing more than broken up prose, and the truth is that I didn't feel much engagement or emotional impact at any point in the collection.
Not one I'd recommend, I'm afraid.
Not one I'd recommend, I'm afraid.
September 25, 2022
Once again, I don't feel right rating this collection because I am not well versed in poetry. So, this rating is coming from my own personal feeling regarding my experience reading and is in no way reflective of the actual quality of the collection. I’ve come to accept that poetry isn’t a genre for me. Most of the time I feel like I’m reading something required for a class.
As with all other collections I’ve read recently there were a few pieces that really stood out to me: Jet Stream, Depending on the Wind, and 1,2,3. But overall I spent more time that I wanted to tying together the meaning of things.
“After all, all rainbows lie for a living.”
As with all other collections I’ve read recently there were a few pieces that really stood out to me: Jet Stream, Depending on the Wind, and 1,2,3. But overall I spent more time that I wanted to tying together the meaning of things.
“After all, all rainbows lie for a living.”
November 24, 2017
Hardest letter to find but finally finished a book for X! You can check out all the alphabet books I read and more honest reviews here: https://spinesinaline.wordpress.com!
I really picked this one almost purely because it started with X and it was available at the library. I’ve talked about my “issues” with poetry or short story collections before where it’s very rare that I’ll enjoy every piece within a collection, though at times I’m close. This one didn't hit the mark but there were still some poems I really liked and even some lines from poems that I pulled out to save. It felt a bit like the author was being deliberately obscure, which I know is somewhat typical of poetry but here it was just frustrating that they seemingly unnecessarily used big, complicated words; it just muddled the meaning and impact for me.
However, there were some stand-outs for me. My favourites were “Fire Season”, “Jet Stream”, and “Nature Averts Her Eyes”. One of my favourite lines came from that last poem; it really spoke to me with my love of crime shows: "I had an exaggerated interest in death, so much so it was possible I might already be dead"
Gonna keep this review short and sweet since the collection comes in just under 100 pages, so you’re going to have to read it yourself and pick out your own favourites!
I really picked this one almost purely because it started with X and it was available at the library. I’ve talked about my “issues” with poetry or short story collections before where it’s very rare that I’ll enjoy every piece within a collection, though at times I’m close. This one didn't hit the mark but there were still some poems I really liked and even some lines from poems that I pulled out to save. It felt a bit like the author was being deliberately obscure, which I know is somewhat typical of poetry but here it was just frustrating that they seemingly unnecessarily used big, complicated words; it just muddled the meaning and impact for me.
However, there were some stand-outs for me. My favourites were “Fire Season”, “Jet Stream”, and “Nature Averts Her Eyes”. One of my favourite lines came from that last poem; it really spoke to me with my love of crime shows: "I had an exaggerated interest in death, so much so it was possible I might already be dead"
Gonna keep this review short and sweet since the collection comes in just under 100 pages, so you’re going to have to read it yourself and pick out your own favourites!
August 10, 2024
i read this for an alphabet reading challenge and its nice to read something that i would never have looked for or picked up before.
some of these remind me why I don't read poetry but then others are beautiful
I like the ones that tell a story and aren't random words. depending on the wind was great.
some of these remind me why I don't read poetry but then others are beautiful
I like the ones that tell a story and aren't random words. depending on the wind was great.
August 29, 2020
I truly wish this was something I could follow because I see the pain and passion behind Galvin’s words. For some reason I just cannot connect to the poems.
He does have a beautiful sense of rhythm and rhyme that made the poems enjoyable to read even through that disconnect.
He does have a beautiful sense of rhythm and rhyme that made the poems enjoyable to read even through that disconnect.
June 26, 2018
The last few poems especially struck me.
December 29, 2022
Quick and beautiful collection of poems. Definitely worth the read!
October 8, 2023
Love lost examined through nature, wilderness features.
2023 PopSugar Reading Challenge #35: A book about divorce.
2023 PopSugar Reading Challenge #35: A book about divorce.
December 31, 2009
I've been through this volume once, but that's like glancing at intriguing scenery (or a car wreck) from a moving vehicle. Now I'm driving by slow, and will eventually get out and walk through each poem, as I find something more with each reading.
What is glaring so far is the heaviness of heartbreak and loss. The disbelief that comes when events beyond reckoning come to pass...belying profound emptiness and wonder (not the good kind), conveyed with such beauty and lyricism I would describe it as a series of gorgeous tragedies.
What is glaring so far is the heaviness of heartbreak and loss. The disbelief that comes when events beyond reckoning come to pass...belying profound emptiness and wonder (not the good kind), conveyed with such beauty and lyricism I would describe it as a series of gorgeous tragedies.
December 16, 2007
This book is dirty, crazy, and perhaps even a bit embarrassing for its author (or perhaps it should be), but it's also really, really good. The poem with the line that is something like "Do you think God doesn't have a tracktor" is a masterpiece.
July 6, 2015
Favorites:
Dear May Eighth
Wild Irises on Dirty Woman Creek
Alpenrose Growing by the Door
Ponderosa
Dying Into What I've Done
Limber Pines
Conflagration of Opposites
Leap Year
Depending on the Wind
as well as Part 3 of Part 3: Dear Miss Emily.
Dear May Eighth
Wild Irises on Dirty Woman Creek
Alpenrose Growing by the Door
Ponderosa
Dying Into What I've Done
Limber Pines
Conflagration of Opposites
Leap Year
Depending on the Wind
as well as Part 3 of Part 3: Dear Miss Emily.
March 12, 2007
This was a re-read, and well worth it: James Galvin's poems are sparse and interstitial, growing longing in between the in betweens.
May 28, 2008
I think it might be almost worth having a heart-wrenching divorce if you could write a collection this good about it.
He calls her a 'sauntering abbatoir.' It's glorious!
He calls her a 'sauntering abbatoir.' It's glorious!
June 27, 2007
Whitney, in the spirit of domestic demoralization, I think this might be just the book for you. It is inspired by the poet's divorce from his poet wife.
November 28, 2007
For the last poem alone, to Galvin's daughter.
April 7, 2008
Read it for class; I don't recall finding it memorable or terribly interesting.
July 6, 2009
One of my favorite books of poetry.
April 13, 2016
Cuts you with shards of a marriage... in Wyoming, too.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews