Joe Batt's Arms and Other Islands
Added: (Thu Jan 30 2020)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Book Title: Joe Batt’s Arm and Other Islands
Author: Shayne Coffin
The unusual title of Shayne Coffin’s most recent collection of poetry is a nod to his recent pilgrimage to Newfoundland and its transformative effect on his psyche, which he chronicles in the pages of Joe Batt’s Arm and Other Islands.
Coffin’s journey took place over two summers and the poems tell not only of the features and experiences of the trips, but also subtly detail the changes to the poet himself. The travel which Coffin undertook, over 9000kms across large parts of the North American Eastern Seaboard, has clearly had a cathartic and healing effect on the author.
The first part of the collection, An Audience with the Masters, written during his initial trip in 2017, begins with an exploration of the birthplaces and communities of famous poets. These poems are a labour of love to the writers who have shaped modern poetry. Neighbours offers a good contrast between Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Coffin’s lively descriptions breathing life into each author. His imaginative imagery of the graveyard where Emily Dickinson rests effortlessly transports the reader to West Highway Burying Ground: “You are not a single entity, crossed over hidden portals, but divided into millions of editions.” Coffin’s admiration for these writers infuses each page, while also vividly describing the various settings he visited.
The second part of the collection chronicles his exploration of Canada’s Maritime Provinces. The poetry is full of colourful description, with poems like Confederation Bridge bringing the region to life: “I race across the crystal Sahara, to sink my restless foot into your blood red shoreline.” Other selections, such as Carriage Ride Through Lunenburg, Summerside Motel and Reflections After a Dip in the Pool focus more on the people of the region, who are described effectively through Coffin’s colourful verse. A melancholy tone fills this part of the book, which finishes with the poignant In Lieu of a Suicide Attempt, written a few weeks after the trip ended.
The final section details the pinnacle of Coffin’s trip, his pilgrimage the following summer through Quebec to Newfoundland and Labrador. His awe and enthusiasm for this part of the country is palpable, as we read in Birch Island Boardwalk: “You are a beautiful isolated collage of outsiders, and I want to sew myself to your spread, the hypnotized mainlander.” Poems like Before Leaving Big Land, Fogo Head Trail and Romantic Death at St. Lunaire-Griquet imaginatively animate the rocky province. The poem for which the collection is named, Joe Batt’s Arm, is a lyrical love letter to the land of Coffin’s ancestors, and the reader feels a more optimistic tone taking hold.
The book opens with a quote from Louisa May Alcott: “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” This optimistic outlook is how Coffin concludes his anthology, with the poem First Anniversary in the Gaspe Peninsula. His renewed resolve echoes throughout this last poem: “Today is a special day for me, because I am here, to hop scotch and leap dangerously shaped boulders…To find some sort of cure through travel and history, I am not afraid to leave this time…I am an island.” Shayne Coffin’s most recent collection of poetry is an interesting exploration of a region and of a man, transporting the reader along a captivating journey.
Where to purchase:
• Volumes Direct: http://www.volumesdirect.com/detail.aspx?ID=5632
• Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/joe-batts-arm-and-other/9780994903242-item.html?ref=isbn-search#internal=1
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Joe-Batts-Arm-Other-Islands/dp/0994903243/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=9780994903242&qid=1580309597&sr=8-1