I have mixed feelings about this work. Some of the poems are real gems; others have me scratching my head and wondering, "Is this the same person?" I think I'm just more moved by certain forms and topics than others, and while I love much "nature" poetry, it's fatiguing to read one after the other. It's more than this, though. Irwin seems to approach the natural world through the lens of loss - ruin, development, civilization as devastating, etc. I understand. I spent the first 18 years of my life living on a hill farm in Vermont. But I look at cities and see hope and possibility. I have deep affection for the built environment, for technologies and kitschy things, pop culture and public spaces and the everything-all-the-time of cities. So while Irwin is probably best known for his nature laments, I like him best when he's writing about freeways and hotels and imagined cities. Here are my favorites:
White City; Two Panels; Autumnal; I Hesitated; Ruins; Sparrow; Someone.
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