The Sandpiper’s Spell ricochets through time and space, collecting psychic and geographic memories, images, and artifacts to assemble as the ingredients of metamorphosis.
Pearson’s debut collection of intimate poetry offers a meditative selection of free-form vignettes across intertwining themes, all with a transformative tone. The title poem is split into six parts that capture the writer as a beachcomber describing the beauty of the shore (“bleached now by daylight/ under the assault/ of wind/ and flight/ and trumpets”). These are interspersed with shorter poems that fleetingly transport the reader elsewhere before returning to the coast. “Death of a...” envisions the sad end of a sad life, balanced by the captivating rural sunsets of Georgia in “Vanishing Point” (“the calico corona of/ autumn forgetfulness”).Above all, Pearson demonstrates a mastery of imagery. Whether he’s describing a trip to the carnival or a Greek creation myth, the poems’ language and mood ebb and flow like the “retracting water” of the ocean. The tone is set organically through Pearson’s use of free-form verse and a sentimentality for childhood that feels like a personal diary, helping to develop a more intimate relationship between reader and poem. Other than adjusting to the rapid shift in subjects, the reader is required to do little in the way of mental gymnastics, leaving more time to enjoy the introspection that the poems invoke.
Bringing out the beauty in the everyday, the collection holds its own as a relaxing but powerful reminder to appreciate the little things in nature and in life. Sometimes the peaceful verse slips into melancholy, but even solitude brings “the gift/ of concentration/ allotted/ only/ to the lonely.” The images are quiet rather than breathtaking, encouraging attention to small creatures and subtle seasonal shifts. Even readers who would normally shy away from poetry will find comfort and calm in Pearson’s humble recollections.
Takeaway: Longtime poetry fans and new readers alike will appreciate the vibrant, lyrical imagery of Pearson’s nature-influenced verses.
Great for fans of Marge Piercy, Conrad Aiken.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B+
“Pearson’s masterfully observant debut poetry collection scours littoral and urban landscapes… Vastly panoramic and deeply introspective… A startlingly intuitive new poet—one to watch.”
"stunningly reflective… The Sandpiper’s Spell is a relatively short poetry read but Tom Pearson fills each page with an abundance of evocative language.”
The Red Room at KGB, New York, NY – Wednesday, April 11, 2018, 7:00 PM
The Sandpiper's Spell Recognized as one of the Best Indie Books of 2019 by Kirkus Reviews.
Tom Pearson Reading and Book Signing in Hong Kong
Sense 99, Central, Hong Kong – Monday, April 30, 2018, 7:00 PM
Please join Spoonbill Studio [99 Montrose] for a reading and signing of Tom Pearson's newest book of poetry The Sandpiper's Spell: Spoonbill & Sugartown, Brooklyn, NY – Monday, July 30, 2018, 7:00 PM
BookBar welcomes poet and performer Tom Pearson, best known for his theatrical work and now debuting his first book of poetry, The Sandpiper’s Spell. The work is a pastiche of meditative vignettes and fragmented memory, and was called “an homage to the fragility of life [that] requires slow, deep, repeated reading” by playwright Andrea Lepcio (Looking for the Pony). So count this Saturday evening at BookBar as the first of several.
