Magisterial

Some words of praise for The Fortunes of Poetry in an Age of Unmaking from the distinguished poet and critic, Helen Pinkerton Trimpi (for more on her work click here):

The adjective “magisterial” is too frequently misapplied in reviewing scholarly books, but if ever a literary study merited it, James Matthew Wilson's The Fortunes of Poetry does. His subject, the history of poetry as an art form, in both its correct understanding and its misunderstandings (its "fortunes") is an important one in all cultures, and especially so in Western cultural history.  Wilson has succeeded well in his purpose, which is to define the essence of poetry—what poetry historically has been and is—in the “context of a sound metaphysical realism—that [believes] human inquiry [can] arrive at the truth about being, including the being of poetry”.
                                                            -Helen Pinkterton Trimpi

Fortunes will be published on December 14th by Wiseblood Books (for more on Wiseblood click the picture).