Book
The poet's house : a novel / Jean Thompson.
"A contemporary story about the insular world of writers, centering on a notable female poet and the young woman to whom she reveals her long-guarded secret about a famous manuscript"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781643751566 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 304 pages ; 22 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: Chapel Hill, North Carolina : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2022.
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Secrecy > Fiction. Sexism > Fiction. Women poets > Fiction. |
| Genre: | Feminist fiction. Psychological fiction. Novels. |
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Branch | FIC Thomp | 31681010283745 | FICTION | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
Hired to work for a scandalous aging poet, 20-something landscaper Carla learns about the power of words as she discovers the insular world of writers, in this wry meditation on art as transformative and the ways which it can be leveraged as commerce. 30,000 first printing. - Baker & Taylor
"A contemporary story about the insular world of writers, centering on a notable female poet and the young woman to whom she reveals her long-guarded secret about a famous manuscript"-- - Grand Central Pub
In this warm and witty story, a young woman gets swept up in the rivalries and love affairs of a dramatic group of writers.?
Carla is stuck. In her twenties and working for a landscaper, sheâs been told sheâs on the wrong path by everyoneâfrom her mom, who wants her to work at the hospital, to her boyfriend, who is dropping not-so-subtle hints that she should be doing something that matters.
ÂThen she is hired for a job at the home of Viridian, a lauded and lovely aging poet who introduces Carla to an eccentric circle of writers. At first she is perplexed by their predilection for reciting lines in conversation, the stories of their many liaisons, their endless wine-soaked nights. Soon, though, she becomes enamored with this entire world: with Viridian, whose reputation has been defined by her infamous affair with a male poet, Mathias; with Viridianâs circle; and especially with the power of words, the âache and hunger that can both be awakened and soothed by a poem,â a hunger that Carla feels sharply. When a fight emerges over a vital cache of poems that Mathias wrote about Viridian, Carla gets drawn in. But how much will she sacrifice for a group that may or may not see her as one of their own?
A delightfully funny look at the art worldâsometimes petty, sometimes transactional, sometimes transformativeâ ÂThe Poetâs House is also a refreshingly candid story of finding oneâs way, with words as our lantern in the dark. - Workman Press.
An unforgettable, lighthearted story about a young woman who discovers the insular world of writers, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Year We Left Home.
Carla is in her twenties, working for a landscaper, lacking confidence, still unsure what direction her life will take. Viridian is a lauded and lovely aging poet whose reputation has been defined by her infamous affair with a famous male poet, Mathias, many years earlier. When Carla is hired to work at Viridian's house, she is perplexed by this community of writers: their tendency to recite lines in conversation, the stories of their many liaisons, their endless wine-soaked nights. And still she becomes enamored with Viridian and her whole circle, and especially with the power of words, the âache and hunger that can both be awakened and soothed by a poem,â a hunger that Carla feels sharply at this stagnating moment in her young life. At the same time, she sees how even Viridian has had to compromise so much to take her place in the world of letters. And as Viridianâs standing begins to fade, a number of people angle to gain possession of Mathiasâs cycle of poems written about Viridian, a cycle he famously burned as he read them. Yet long after Mathias' s death, one copy may still rest with Viridian. If so, why won't she release it?
Â
A wry meditation on art as both transformative and on the ways in which it can be leveraged as commerce, as well as a perceptive examination of the female artist, Jean Thompsonâs novel is at once delightfully funny and wise, and will resonate with readers who loved Lily King's Writers & Lovers, Meg Wolitzer's The Female Persuasion, and Susan Choiâs Trust Exercise.
