Two Minutes of Light

by Nancy K. Pearson

A poet with a powerful hand and ear can use language to transform a grim life into art. In Two Minutes of Light, Nancy K. Pearson writes about a descent into the madness of addiction, suicide attempts, and self-mutilation, and the foil to these destructive ways is art itself the poet's gift of finding small beauty in unlikely places and transforming it into poetry. With stunning imagination, acute mindfulness, downright spunk, and not one ounce of sentimentality or gratuitousness, Pearson mines this despair for its minutes of light that provide rungs toward a more livable life. While immersed in the world of psychiatric wards, crack motels, selling drugs, even cutting off a finger, the poet, almost unnervingly, writes about sea grass, milkweed, ghost crabs, fruit seeds, and wild lilies. Pearson's genius is her curiously ironic voice, the immediacy of her images, and her fearless attitude.

Genres: Poetry

78 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Magda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Completely jarring, but doesn't have that disappointing confessional-at-the-cost-of-craft thing about it. The one where the speaker cuts off her own finger is amazing. You should read this and support a good small press, if you can find it.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of taking a class with Nancy as the instructor. Her talent clearly shows through this collection -- I was hooked from the first page. Looking forward to reading her second collection soon!

[Cheri Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The spare, economical style lends itself so well to this material. Pearson is generous and unflinching enough to show us some of her darkest moments, which has the effect of making me feel less alone in my own ... I'm so glad I read this powerful book.

[Kathy Diveris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to me in college by a professor who saw that I needed its honesty. I was working through trauma and pain and trying to come to an understanding of my life in all of that. It has been one of the essentials in my life since then.

[Rachael Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jarring, haunting, mesmerizing. The craft here is so finely honed. I would call this less confessional poetry and more self-witnessing.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

reeling in small loaves / of sunlight (3)

a field of birds-- / black wings breaking a sure hunk of sky / into a thousand parts (3)

only muscle scars where the fruit once hinged (5)

When he hit the water, / his backbones tangled like water root. (28)

I hold on / to a small tangerine, I unwrap the orange collars (29)

glassy nap (34)

the moon orphans all those stars (40)

the sea is / a white forest of lungs (45)

the engagement of gliding tendons / the elbow holding its soft cup // of veins (52)

[Del Rosario · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy was my first poetry teacher, and her poetry is just as wonderful as her. My favorite line of the entire book was "I don't ask for forgiveness, not now, not ever." (30) simply because I can understand why not to ask.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the economy of her language. There's a certain clipped way to addressing life - pained, not the whole glass on this window, a sharp, jagged shard.