Distinguished Canadian novelist Rudy Wiebe has noted "the particularity of place, of personality, a spiritual sense of event" in Neufeldt’s verse. Prize-winning Canadian poet Di Brandt has highlighted the "tenderness" in the poetry, not "of innocence or naiveté, but of humility, & grief, & wonder & amazement." Michigan Quarterly Review, reviewing an earlier book, observed that "Neufeldt has enough confidence in his vision to do more than moralize."Now DreamSeeker Books presents Neufeldt's latest collection. Summary: The Coat is Thin, a collection of highly descriptive poems, comprises lyrical meditations, narratives, dramatic monologues, and verse essays. The first section draws strongly on memory in presenting the luminous immediacy of experiences with others and with nature. To quote the Yogi Berra of one of these poems, "Writers could observe a lot by watching." Later sections turn to the Dutch-Russian Mennonites who influenced and shaped the poet; troubling issues of war, peace, and the exercise of power; and the possibilities in our time of living and writing with integrity. Comment:
“Sensually and intellectually engaging, these poems
arise from a poet’s practice of close attention to
nature—water, trees, stars—and from sympathetic
appreciation for human aspiration and failure. Always
respectful of history and mindful of the moment, the poet
speaks in a language that is precise, rich in imagery,
and resonant. This collection will reward every
re-reading.” "The Coat is Thin will be
a book to keep beside the bed, a solace, an invitation to
return home, as well as a call to adventure. The poems
are rich and make me linger. They make me weep for the
woman I once was among the fir and cottonwoods, the stars
west of Williams Lake, my immigrant kin. Read them and
prepare to be ‘seized by joy.’" "From brief lyrics to prose poems
and verse essays, Leonard Neufeldt’s range is wide
and his touch sure. Sometimes meditative, sometimes
flirting playfully with surrealism, always patient and
often luminous, The Coat Is Thin is filled with
long-seasoned love for a world that offers, among all its
pain, ‘This healing over, / this slow-paced economy
/ of grace.’" Market: Neufeldt’s poetry should appeal to general readers and especially those drawn to poetry of strong emotional connection, descriptive power, and sensitive observation of the world we have experienced or inherited. Shelving: Poetry; Anabaptist-Mennonite literature. BISAC: Poetry; RTM: 640 Poetry. The Author: Leonard Neufeldt, Gig Harbor, Washingon, has published five volumes of poetry as well as some 250 poems in major American and Canadian writing magazines and journals. Known principally as a literary and cultural historian, he served on the faculties of the University of Washington, University of Texas (Odessa campus) and Purdue University, and as visiting professor at Universität Erlangen, Germany, and Princeton University. Publisher: Cascadia
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