Lines from the Provinces Author:David Wright Lines from the Provinces tenders to readers a collection of poems that speak in the long tradition of American poetry connected to place, trying to discover if it is reasonable to 'want lines to tether us to something / after all.' Poet David Wright demonstrates an impressive stylistic range, from short lyrics to rolling, Whitman-like lines, as ... more »he guides us through the physical landscapes of the prairie's farms and small towns and down the Red Line of Chicago's 'L.' In the process, he meditates, rants, sings, and gestures towards paths and people that show how complex even the provinces can be. In the process, Wright's poetry also explores the emotional and spiritual territories of grief, wonder, and pleasure, avoiding cliché in favor of concrete, particular language that takes the risk of 'fooling us into belief, / into hope that our skin can sing, / that joy is native to our hands / and as ordinary as song.'« less