Earthquakes and Explorations: Language and Painting from Cubism to Concrete Poetry

Bert Almon is a professor of English at the University of Alberta and a
poet. He is the author of Calling Texas, Earth Prime, and Mind the Gap.

This book about language and painting is both a work of deep scholarship
and a labor of love. The author provides accessible discussions of a
wide array of topics, including Cubism and Apollinaire, Gertrude Stein,
Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, Dada, Russian Futurism, contemporary language
poetry, and concrete poetry. Of particular interest is his treatment of
the Scottish concrete poet, Ian Hamilton Finlay. The concern with
“ekphrasis”—the interplay of text and image—is an ancient one,
and Scobie has made an interesting addition to the tradition. His
enlightening book includes footnotes and an extensive bibliography.