The Panum Poems

Bert Almon is a professor of English at the University of Alberta and
the author of Calling Texas and Earth Prime.

T.S. Eliot praised John Webster for being able to “see the skull
beneath the skin.” In this brilliant new book, Heather Spears can see
it, write about it, and draw it.

Spears is well known for her skilful evocation of human anatomy, and
this beautifully produced volume reproduces drawings of parts of skulls
and facial muscles (drawings that she prepared at the Panum Institute in
Copenhagen) to illustrate poems about the “peeled face.” Spears’s
poems explore questions involving human communication, verbal and
nonverbal, that arise quite naturally from contemplating the face. They
also provide the context for creating the drawings. Although the
strength of style in the collection lies in its concise use of physical
detail, the poet doesn’t neglect the spirit. “Biking with Skulls
through Copenhagen,” the final poem in the col-lection, is nothing
short of dazzling.