My Late Mother as a Ruffed Grouse

by Will Nixon

The poems in My Late Mother as a Ruffed Grouse loosely chronicle Will Nixon's life from a suburban childhood in Connecticut to young adulthood in Hoboken and Manhattan to his present life in the Catskills, which began in 1996 when he left a mid-town apartment for a log cabin with a wood stove, a footbridge across a stream out to the road, and mice, lots of mice. Almost all of these poems first appeared in literary journals, including California Quarterly, Confrontation, Elysian Fields Quarterly, The Ledge, Main Street Rag, Rattle, Slipstream, and Wisconsin Review. Several appeared in regional anthologies. One was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. The title poem, "My Late Mother as a Ruffed Grouse," describes a true encounter with a wild bird after the poet's mother died.

88 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2008

About the author

"Love in the City of Grudges," my latest poetry book, ranges from suburban childhood to youthful longings and misadventures in gentrifying Hoboken in the 1980s, from an escape to Catskills log cabin to Night of the Living Dead as family history. "We're embarrassed to smile, but page after page we do," wrote the poet Djelloul Marbrook, who blogged about the book at http://www.djelloulmarbrook.com/2010/.... Susan Deer Cloud said these poems conjure up "a WASP Odysseus from Connecticut sailing into America's nightmare hinterlands" and praised the "heroic, ironic, bittersweet, sexy elegance of language." The publisher's website is http://foothillspublishing.com/2010/i.... "My Late Mother as a Ruffed Grouse" was my previous poetry book.

"Walking Woodstock: Journeys into the Wild Heart of America's Most Famous Small Town" by Michael Perkins and myself began as columns for the Woodstock Times and became the #1 paperback bestseller of 2009 at the Golden Notebook, our beloved independent bookstore. The publishers website is http://shop.thetroybookmakers.com. Or visit http://bushwhackbooks.com.

Reviews

[Scott Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "My Late Mother as a Ruffed Grouse," Will Nixon brings a lifetime of experience to bear on these exquisite poems, each one a complex gem told in the language of the people. Filled with rich details, surprising metaphors -- "In the dryer my wet sneakers thump like dinosaur heartbeats." -- and luminous observations, these poems crackle with the wisdom gained from a self-examined life. Pervading them, too, is the warmest sense of humor, as in "My First Rubber": "I bought my first rubber at Dirty Ed's fountain shop/the grill was engine black, the hot dogs tasted like charcoal./No one would eat a hamburger because we knew/Ed squeezed meatballs flat with his armpits." Yet, behind all of these poems lies a sweetness, a tenderness that elevates the ordinary people in this book to new heights. In the title poem, which ends this collection, Nixon shows his full poetic mastery, wringing both humor and an extraordinary sadness from an unexpected encounter in the woods. Every once in a while, you run across a relatively unknown writer who captures your imagination in a way that makes you wonder why everyone's not reading them. Will Nixon is one such writer.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...If you have not read Will Nixon's poety, you should. I bought a copy of this collection months ago from Foot Hills Press and lost it. However,seeing that luck was on my side and Will Nixon's a local poet, I was able to get a new signed copy. What I like best about this collection is its tangibility... Right now, my favorite poem is "Batting for the Dead." But I know that will change the next time I have the honor to hear Will read or leaf through the pages again.

[Kathleen Suess · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tasty morsel of a book, crammed with brilliant images, unique word pairings, intense observations in nature.
The poems walks us through Nixon's life; as he travels and matures, so do we.
A book one can, and will, go back to, just to appreciate the imagery and word wizardry.