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The Pure Inconstancy of Grace Paperback – June 1, 2021

by Richard St John (Author)
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 rating
See all formats and editions
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Master craftsman Richard St. John eloquently illuminates the human condition in surprising and profound ways in this collection of poems. He finds genuine grace in the midst of suffering and despair as well as in mundane moments of daily life. These are powerful poems with clear-eyed empathy and uncanny insight.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    96 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Richard V. St. John
  4. Publication date
    June 1, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.23 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1087966396
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1087966397
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Beautiful voice and measured use of cultural allusions give this book dignity and maturity.... A very melodious and inspirational writer.

-Diane Wakoski, 2004 T. S. Eliot Prize judge

What remarkable, original, and intelligent poems these are-without an echo of imitation or lingering indebtednesses. Above all, these are poems of felt intelligence-a quality one associates with Richard Wilbur or John Donne and too few others. Richard St. John is among the select few. All you have to do is read "J. Paul Getty at Forest Lawn," "Circling Walden Pond," "Walking with the Lady with Three Dogs," "This Light" and the poignant "The Chokeberry and the Mower: A Valediction" to be convinced. This book ranks among the best recent books of poems I have ever read, and I mean every word of that.

-Samuel Hazo, International Poetry Forum

The Pure Inconstancy of Grace is a terrific book. Each poem compels our attention. Richard St. John's work is characterized by precision of language, compassion, and a sense of the sacred writ both large and small. These narratives and homilies will stay with you long after the book is closed. You'll go back and read them again.

-Michael Wurster, Pittsburgh Poetry Exchange

Whether revisiting the legend of St. Julian the Hospitaller or speaking (aptly enough) as John the Baptist's head upon a plate, these poems exhibit a masterful use of tone and formal elegance (see, for example, the delightful twist on rime royal in "J. Paul Getty at Forest Lawn"). But for all their structural intricacies, these are poems whose true grace lies in their ability to see inside the world, to get at "the black and lapidary heart of things." St. John's voice makes a most welcome debut in this moving collection of poems, a gift to the art of poetry.

-D. A. Powell, University of San Francisco

Richard St. John is a master craftsman who eloquently illuminates the human condition in surprising and profound ways. He finds genuine grace in the midst of suffering and despair, as well as in mundane moments of daily life. These are powerful poems with clear-eyed empathy and uncanny insight.

-Maurya Simon, University of California-Riverside

About the Author

Richard St. John is the author of The Pure Inconstancy of Grace (published in 2005 by Truman State University Press, as first runner-up for the T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry), Each Perfected Name (Truman State University Press, 2015), and Shrine (a long poem released as a chapbook in 2011). He enjoys connecting not only with university and literary audiences, but also with listeners new to poetry. St. John received degrees in English from Princeton University (B.A.) and the University of Virginia (M.A.) In 2002, he completed a mid-career Loeb Fellowship for independent study at Harvard University. A portion of his literary materials have been archived at University of Pittsburgh library system. He has worked professionally in the fields of community development and nonprofit management. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Kate. For more information, please visit his website: www.richardstjohnpoet.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Richard V. St. John (June 1, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1087966396
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1087966397
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.23 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 rating

Customer reviews

5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5
1 global rating

Top review from the United States

David L. Beckwith
5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Light from Pittsburgh
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2005
Rick St. Johns' poems are beautiful, they tell stories, they sound good, they make me happy, sad, curious, interested. Most of all, they read well, over and over, and reward each reading.

Lyrical without being singsong, insightful and complex without being overly intellectual, these poems bring Paris, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Walden Pond - they bring place alive.

They tell stories of true love - not gooey or madcap or sex-in-the-city love, but a tender 30-years-married-and-he-still- wonders-at-her kind of love.

They tell of Friendship - not buddy-movie friendship, but the hardest kind, old friends who know us well, who act wrong or die.

These are good poems. This is a good man. I'm going to enjoy reading this again.
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