In the Weather of the World by Estha Weiner

[Susana]

This is one of the poetry books I picked up at AWP and in the interests of disclosure, I consider the author a friend, but I've just finished reading the book and wanted to post a few words about the poetry, as I am also a fan. This is the poet's second book and one that is wide-ranging in the settings of the poems, less home-bound, more out-in-the-world, from New York to the South, to the Rockies, to Maine, to the UK and so on, though more often urban than not. Accessible, generally short poems, here is a typically example:

New Orleans Has Collapsed
In appreciation of Frank O’Hara

I was watching the hurricane news
thinking it’s bad but it’s not as bad
as they thought when all of a sudden
it was worse Why?? The levees broke
and the water poured through the sexy sweet
City of New Orleans, through
cemeteries and jazz
Zydeco and oysters
booze and Blues
balconies and Brennan’s
Black and White

Congregation Named Desire
Queen of the River Excess
did the God of those Righteous Boys
now running
the U.S. of A.
visit this flood upon your sensuous
banks No Noah in these Boys’ plans
Oh New Orleans I love you get up!

The poems are generally witty and knowledgeable, in a sort of chatty, informal voice.

[Jen]

It sounds like a fun read, Susana. I like how she knits associations in the poem you quoted above. Thanks for sharing.

[Celine]

Very nice poem that makes you know the city that was and is remembered.

[Susana]

I looked for other excerpts on the web, but couldn't find a lot.

[Jen]

Thanks for sharing about the publisher, Megan. With 256 poetry titles, it should be easy to spend 20 Euros with them.

[Nina]

I enjoyed the rhythm of the quoted poem, and am eager to read more work

[Caroline]

Thanks for the introduction to Estha Weiner's poems Susana. I'm intrigued as to how what seems to be an American poet ends up being published by an Irish poetry press. Salmon Press do publish lots of good stuff. I dare not browse their catalogue!

[Susana]

It turns out that they have a number of American authors. I'm not sure if most/all of them have some ties to Ireland or not. Maybe it's like Waywiser, also a UK poetry press but with a subsidiary in the US?

[Mark]

Rebecca Morgan Frank's Little Murders Everywhere is also on Salmon Poetry Press and one I would recommend.