The Creation of the Night Sky: Poems - Softcover

Nicholas Christopher, the author of five previous collections of poetry, a novel, and a study of film noir, has received awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Academy of American Poets, and the Poetry Society of America. He lives in New York City.

This long poem is written as independent pieces that fit together puzzlelike to produce a cumulative effect: the creation of one night's experiences. Dream, fantasy, memory, and simultaneous realities occur, and Christopher reins them in with the solid use of form. His writing contains curiosity, enthusiasm, intensity, and ambitious desire that would seem more typical of a younger, less-established writer. He is open and willing, while at all times a master of selecting particulars he knows will engage his readers. This consequential, nonlinear approach in combination with intriguing subject matter leaves the reader with questions to ponder and potent images to revisit. At the end, one may even feel as though he or she just lived other people's lives. Like entering a good novel, one is able to suspend disbelief and resist stepping out of the poetic settings and stories. Christopher's voice and style are indeed distinct. Creation of the Night Sky will only reinforce this in readers whether they are familiar or not with his work. Janet St. John