Culturebox: Backyard Masterpieces

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culturebox Backyard Masterpieces The best thing about Christian Wiman is not that he reminds you of previous poets: it's that he makes you forget them. By Clive James Posted Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010, at 7:13 AM ET Not yet 50 years old, the American poet Christian Wiman has recently been stricken with a serious illness. His doctors say he is likely to survive but for anyone in doubt about the magnitude of the possible loss, one glance at his latest collection, Every Riven Thing, should serve to state the case. In "Sitting Down to Breakfast Alone," he recalls a diner: steam spiriting out of black coffee, the scorched pores of toast, a bowl of apple butter like edible soil, bald cloth, knifelight, the lip of a glass, my plate's gleaming, teeming emptiness. To continue reading, click here. Clive James is the author of The Blaze of Obscurity: Unreliable Memoirs V. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Obama Should Quit After His First Term? Six More Lousy Op-Ed Ideas. How Can They Tell Whether Michael Jackson Was Really the One Singing His New Song? A Zombie Actor Reflects on Life During the Zombie Boom	Advertisement
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