Optician To The Stars

In OPTICIAN TO THE STARS, the British-Canadian Todd Swift, one of the leading poet-editors of his generation, takes a look at life with and without rose-tinted specs, considering the sublunar world in all its beauty and horror. The collection favours briefer, more epigrammatic poems, often composed on his iPhone while waiting for blood tests or unable to sleep. For the past two years have seen Swift survive a blood clot on his heart, and a life-changing diagnosis. Not a diary of disease and recovery, and never seeking easy epiphanies, the poems nevertheless unfold a tapestry of humane, witty, and often formally-delightful perceptions. From remembering poets who have died, to celebrating seeing a movie star from Mad Max: Fury Road cycling past, these are poems always seeking to see things, and say things, with craft, skill, elegance, and joy.