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The immediacy of his lyrical voice, unburdened of hard facts, is established through self-reflective observations. His aesthetic of reassembly is imbued with broader aims: by touching on past social upheavals, today’s present conditions are ingrained with the same subtle prejudices. |
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During the revolution, a young activist woman loses the cherished book of poems she has carried in her undercoat pocket since the battles began. She referred to it for comfort while hiding-out behind the crumbled ramparts of the citadel. She remembers reading “Notre-Dame” while standing in line for a cup of soup. She penned her first poem on its printed pages shortly after the massacre and inked-in flowers right after the last frost.
In this bold collection, Kirk Johnson is part archivist, biographer and archaeologist. Extracted from speeches, conversations, letters, manifestos and memoirs that chronicle the Bolshevik Revolution and the violent overthrow of the Russian Monarchy, the metrics of his historical method defy tradition. Though grounded in documentation, Johnson is more modern troubadour: his poems are part songs, part folk tales. |
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Kirk
Johnson was born in Hantsport Nova Scotia. He began
his career in theatre (Acadia, 1996) before moving to Montréal
in the late 1990's to begin an MA in Creative Writing at Concordia
University. Montréal became his adopted home, where he
co-wrote a guide book about the city. He published his first collection
of poems, Companion Pieces
(Cumulus Press) in 1999. Johnson later released the chapbook,
Rare Poems and Other Oddities (JKL Press). For Everyone at the
Back is his second full collection of poetry. He now lives in
Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley with his wife, Catherine and daughters,
Julia Dae and Luna. |
LARGE HEART I
had always wanted I
had always wanted
other books by Kirk Johnson : Companion Pieces |
For
Everyone At The Back
1998-2008
- cumulus press
- hosted by koumbit