Time, the Magician

The publication of "Time, the Magician" marks the debut of the poet Jerome Rothenberg. But this is a debut with a difference: although previously unpublished, he has been writing poetry without pause for nearly seventy years. What we are discovering here is not the birthing of a newly formed stream, but the surf of a previously unknown ocean. This is the work of a mature poet, weaving lyrical imagery together with astonishing passion. Yet his unique voice is equally at home playing with puns, or working out a knotty problem of identity. The poems in this volume vary tremendously in structure, tone and point of view, but all have in common a deeply penetrating exploration of the human psyche, with unexpected insights triggered by contemplation of simple images.