Blues and True Concussions: Six New Toronto Poets

Kimberly Fahner is the author of You Must Imagine the Cold Here.

This anthology of new Toronto poets features the work of Eddy Yanofsky,
Laura Lush, Christian Bok, R.M. Vaughan, Kevin Connolly, and Esta
Spalding.

Editor Michael Redhill speaks of Eddy Yanofsky’s ability to evoke
“the emotional roots of place,” a talent that is gracefully
reflected in “Coat Buttons,” “Sestina for a Place,” and
“Chai.” Among the more memorable of Laura Lush’s narrative poems
are “The Worm Girl,” “Jessie,” and “When They Go.” Christian
Bok successfully combines the precision of technical and scientific
terminology with the grace of poetry; such poems as “Crystal
Lattice” and “Emerald” delight both eye and mind. R.M. Vaughan’s
series of “Bed Poems” is stunning in its use of sensual imagery,
while Kevin Connolly’s “Junkmale” and “Angel Food Cake” are
rife with brilliant wordplay and witty juxtapositions of imagery. Esta
Spalding’s poems, most notably “Then,” “Fall,” and
“Politics,” poignantly evoke memories of people and places.

Blues and True Concussions is a dynamic collection, filled with poetic
promise and brimming with energy.