New Releases by E. D. Blodgett

E.D. Blodgett''s final volume of poems, Walking Into God, is the culmination of the poet''s lifelong devotion to a poetry and poetics of the sacred. The poems in this volume present as a single long poem that explores the processes of walking, moving, changing, and evolving within a unified field.

A bilingual collection of renga poetry by two of Canada''s most celebrated poets in English and in French, each writing in his respective language in response to the other. A project of discourse itself, shared in dialogue between two poets, as they explore Novalisu0092 definition of poetry as u0093the truly absolute real.u0094 The poetic act is world-changing, the agglomeration of atoms as they fall through space u0096 a sort of u0093elective affinityu0094, or state of grace u0096 to constitute Being. If Lao Tzu reminds us that the Dao that can be named is not the eternal Dao, this renga, suffused with elements of the natural world, also recognizes that, in the words of Angelus Silesius, u0091u0091the unnameable, which we usually call God, is expressed and revealed through the Word.u0092u0092 Léveillé and Bloggett share an unprecedented dialogue that possesses both paradox and complete clarity of word in Canada''s two official languages.

In a series of poems inspired by Gustav Mahler''s Kindertotenlieder, E.D. Blodgett searches for meaning amidst grief. In the contemplative gentleness of his words, he finds the special light children possess in their state of unknowing as they encounter the world. These sparse poems move through acceptance and resignation to the solace that exists in the word. Blodgett''s poetry will speak to readers who have experienced loss, are exploring grief, or want to find a way to connect with stillness. as bells that ring through the winter air the clear laughter of children sings in the trees almost like brooks bursting in spring the air stands up its joy unbound the breath of it the bright birth of stars

Un livre bilingue sans ètre pourtant traduit Where languages speak in easy dialogue Invitation et offrande a gift A seasoned poet au sommet de son art

Prompted by renowned poet E.D. Blodgett''s deep love for Prague, Praha is a poetic homage to the legendary city''s rich lifeblood. With each poem accompanied by its Czech translation, the pieces in this collection lift the reader over the threshold of mythical understanding and into the bustling hub of larger cities. Praha flips Prague over and under to expose the place at its most stripped and beautiful.

Reflecting Edmonton''s unique multicultural ambience, E. D. Blodgett wrote these poems in English and French, and had several translated into Cree, Michif, Chinese, and Ukranian. The powerful images and thoughtful metaphors in these short lyrics show readers the connections between nature, even within city limits, and the sublime, especially in the overwhelming silence we can sense outdoors--if we pay attention.

Blodgett suggests that each of the several ''national'' groups that compose Canada develops unique narratives that demonstrate their different responses to the notion of nationhood and their sense of place within Canada''s borders.

"Antonio Machado said, ''Every poet should create for himself a metaphysics which he need not expound, but which will lie implicit in his work.'' What lies implicit in "Apostrophes III: alone upon the earth, is a deep belief in the sacredness of the moment, the voices of that moment. E.D. Blodgett''s poetry gives us revelations, the depth of human experience when we ''pass into ourselves, '' the silence of ourselves, stillness and rapture, ''the sleeping that we are.'' Here is the grace of seeing and listening, the ecstasy of understanding. Here is being and time, both roses rising through flesh. "(Don Domanski)

"Transfiguration is an unusual book. It is a rare merging of Canada''s French and English literatures. Its creation in renga form involved alternating poems and poem responses by the authors, each written in the author''s mother tongue. Once finished, the authors then translated each other''s work producing truly bilingual creation that was co-published by a French and an English publisher. But more than this "Transfiguration is a beautiful book, a book of exquisite art and poetry.

Studie over het werk van de Canadese schrijfster (geb. 1931)