In a year-end list, The Washington Postʻs poetry reviewer Elizabeth Lund included W.S. Merwinʻs Garden Time (Copper Canyon Press).
In the article, she wrote:
“These quietly powerful poems were written as Merwin, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and former U.S. poet laureate, was losing his eyesight. That alone makes the book noteworthy. What makes it memorable is that Merwin addresses the loss with honesty, humanity and a singular poetic vision that allows him to find beauty even as his sight dims. The meditative collection opens with several poems that consider light and dark, shadows and distance, both literal and metaphorical, prompting the speaker to ask, “Is it I who have come to this age/ or is it the age that has come to me/ which one has brought along all these/ silent images on their shadowy river.”
We take this moment to congratulate our founder and inspiration W.S. Merwin on a landmark year for his literary career and for the world of poetry in general. To his publishers and editor at Copper Canyon Press, we express our deepest appreciation.
To support the preservation of W.S. Merwin’s legacy and our efforts to preserve his home and palm forest for future generations, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to The Merwin Conservancy.