Back in June at the Short-Story Conference in Cork, I shared abode with Pat Jourdan. We swapped books and time flew. On my recent return trip to the Land Down Under, I was able to relax and dip into the prize-winning Turpentine on Rainy Pavements on Average Sunday Afternoon. Pat’s also an artist, having done the covers of her books, as well, so just a straight list would not do her justice, methinks.
Turpentine is full of poems that appeal to my varying moods, offering insights on how the poet sees the painter’s work – such as “Degas – Two Women in the Café” – love, war, dislocation, … with bursts that have me dipping back, ones like
Great Storm and the Tumbledown House
With
so many gaps
I
am not in the way
of
the lightning.
Average Sunday Afternoon is a slim collection of stories. Rainy Pavements weighs in three times longer. Surprises sneak up on you, and humour flits in and out, words are mixed to blend and clash in tableaux. There is no denying the poet. These are not books to devour like crisps and vinegar. They’re like olives. Pour yourself a drink and enjoy.
Thank you, Pat.
