Questions from Outer Space

by Diane Thiel

Compelling poems with brave, insightful, often humorous observations of the world.

Diane Thiel’s eagerly anticipated collection of poems, Questions from Outer Space, explores fresh and often humorous perspectives that capture the surreal quality of our swiftly changing lives on this planet. The poems travel through questions on many fronts, challenging assumptions and locating unique angles of perception. This thought-provoking book reflects a deep engagement with the natural world, a questioning of our built systems, the expansive wilderness of parenting, and the complexities of navigating outer and inner space.

Genres: Poetry

104 pages, Paperback

Published May 24, 2022

About the author

Diane Thiel is author of Echolocations and Writing Your Rhythm: Using Nature, Culture, Form and Myth, and Resistance Fantasies (all Story Line Press). She is on the creative writing faculty at the University of New Mexico.

Reviews

[Lorenzo Anzalone · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this new collection of Poems, German-American poet Diane Thiel delves in the themes of technology and reality, nature and the mystery of life, human beliefs and possibilities. With poems as Multiverse we are faced with the possibility of many universes that could exist ‘parallel’ to ours, or in a hypothetical place ‘at the same time’. The word universe contains the root uni, meaning one; the collection of poetry shows how we perceive reality, with the given world the way it presents itself, and the possibility of alternatives with which science deals with, but also philosophy in a metaphysical way. Knowledge is not only restricted to what is, but also to what is not. The connection between reality and mysteries is not clear and cannot be ascertained with precision; poetry deals with questions and answers, even when these are suggested by statements that could be confirmed or rejected. In Thiel’s poems reality should always refer to a human condition, with the security of what is given whatever that may mean in relation to something else, but that’s all we have, the sum of human knowledge. Nature surrounds us in the universe, and it relates intimately with us, or is intertwined with humans. The elements alone are necessary for everybody and form an inescapable condition no matter how many universes might exist. One of the fundamental questions could be, is there life after death or somewhere else? The answer could be zero. Any possible answer could be valid, but it does seem possible at the moment, or ever, to answer the question. Maybe there is nothing; anything is possible. Maybe there is only one and nothing else. We make sense of reality nonetheless.
One Early Morning
One early morning,
swimming just at sunrise,
I was surrounded by turtles, just hatched, making their perilous way out to sea.
I didn’t touch – but one by one brushed softly against my little girl body.
“One early morning,” indicates time but it could be in reference to any time, or to the suspension of time; we know that the sun would signal the part of the day, but it still is incomplete, and it cannot be found necessarily; is the sun about to shine or is it already partially in the sky? Is it reaching its zenith? “Swimming just as sunrise”, underlines the fact that things just aren’t ‘all that they are’ all the time; their are not whole as the sun in relation to darkness still trying to show itself on the surface of the Earth where its rays aren’t completely there, or here as we all live on the planet or are at least aware of it form and brilliance or obscurity, or semi clarity.
“I was surrounded by turtles, hatched,
making their perilous way out to sea.” Life is a mystery, forms as turtles are not comprehensible by humans as they also have a brain which functions with a body. The brain alone is a mystery, cells are a mystery, the environment with its interaction is a mystery, elements are a mystery. This poem shows humility and appreciation in front of the spectacle of nature. The turtles may die, but they are now free, living a life span with delimitations that are other than human, and yet similar. They are free to roam towards the ocean even if they may die. Death is an inexplicable event. It may be a portal represented by zero. Thiel traveled to South America and is aware of the Native concept of transformation; this is a possibility.
“I didn’t touch – but one by one they brushed
softly against my little girl body.”
Shapes are unique, but they are also similar at the same time; they occupy a space, they are independent and interdependent at the same time, and they interact with other forms. There is no contradiction; at the same time we cannot know how everything relates to the unknown. Only with the use of metaphysics can we start to question reality, but it still remains an unanswered question in our memory. We certainly witness the phenomenon of life, and it remains a mystery in every sense possible. So, we rely on life. Nature alone is the most mysterious feature of the universe, certainly the one we know, the one we are surrounded with, that we are part of. Any place in the universe is here if the universe is one. Any multiverse is here around, anywhere with the universe, and so on. It’s impossible to give complete answers, but we can still attempt to guess.

[Jennifer Lavoie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this volume of poetry. Diane Thiel has brilliant insight and creative ways of expressing them. I had several poems I loved because they were either amusing or entirely relatable such as "Remotely" and "High Noon at the Remote Corral." They are very appropriate for these times with so much "remote" contact going on. There are great poems with science and math in a poetic form, and then the idea of what is expendable and what is not. "Sleeping Dogs" hit hard, and "Assimilation" was an interesting look at the Borg. Highly recommended!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read much poetry these days; in order for me to enjoy poems, they have to be clear, concise, and have content worth thinking about without being didactic. However, I enjoyed this book of poems! Thought-provoking and lyrical, yet also accessible and relatable, Thiel's poetry both evokes emotion and withstands deeper readings. Covering a wide range of topics such as parenting, heritage, culture, education, aliens, nature, and music, these poems dig deep and pose astute questions ripe for pondering.

[Lori Laitman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was moved to both tears and laughter by Diane Thiel’s newest book, Questions from Outer Space. Her expressive and exquisitely crafted poems examine a wide range of topics, from daily life and parenting to our place in the universe and multiverse. It was such a joy to read this thought-provoking book.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry you can give to people who only read nonfiction.

Thiel tackles topics like astronomy, the environment, and pandemic parenting with wit and insight. If that sounds dull, it's because I'm not as good a writer as her.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these sure were written during the quarantimes weren't they.