The resonant poems of Navigation have their compass set on the heartโs true north and, as they move through even the darkest times, appear lit from within, โlike the body interrupted/ by love becomes bright.โ With a sensuous imagination (โmy body voiced into lifeโ), a stalwart spirit, a consent to lifeโs clamor, a fine earโthese poems make emotion intelligible; they distill and illuminate experienceโits spl ...Full description
The resonant poems of Navigation have their compass set on the heartโs true north and, as they move through even the darkest times, appear lit from within, โlike the body interrupted/ by love becomes bright.โ With a sensuous imagination (โmy body voiced into lifeโ), a stalwart spirit, a consent to lifeโs clamor, a fine earโthese poems make emotion intelligible; they distill and illuminate experienceโits splendor, suffering, โsudden grace.โ An eloquent collection, a lasting pleasure to read.โEleanor WilnerWhat is navigated in Linda Elkinโs graceful and moving first book? Nothing less than the enormity of the human heart. These poems, with their luminous surfaces and resonant depths, forge meaning from mystery, difficulty, and silence as much as from Eros, art, ripe peaches, and the sea. Though โwe know the story is mostly about suffering,โ as Elkin writes, her words help to map a way through. โLove gave me an island to keep in sight,โ she says in a different poem. Reading Navigation, I feel blessed to be traveling toward that place with her.โKasey Jueds