Sometimes a Great Notion

Long admired for his books of poetry, most recently China Blues and Dancing in the Dark, David Donnell’s poems continue to surprise and amaze us with their cool jazz of spontaneity and imaginative logic. A sensual and intellectual feast, Sometimes a Great Notion is a deconstruction of the contemporary artist’s life; it’s also a tough, compassionate look at the future of the future and our philosophy of love. Culinary adventures and geography juxtapose with Japanese culture, erotic interludes are interrupted by notes on Alex Colville, giving us the clearest picture of convergence theory we’ve had since Marshall McLuhan was a young man. Here, in poems like “Luce” or “Pillows,” Donnell pushes the boundaries of minimalism in original and subtle ways and succeeds like peach ice cream on a hot day. Moment after moment, this is a provocative and refreshing book.