Myself Painting: Poems - Softcover

Clarence Major has a remarkable mind and the talent to match.--Toni Morrison

[Major's] language is both lyric and precise. His vision is both humorous. . . and serious. His story is our own.--National Book Award Finalist citation for Configurations

In Myself Painting Clarence Major seeks to re-create for readers the inexpressible feeling that comes from creating art, with poems that speak not of painting itself but of its underlying process. Major incorporates the techniques of painting—particularly that of Post-Expressionism—into his verse, describing scenery with an artist’s eye and using form and color to evoke striking images: “Desire, artichoke green . . . leaves all radiant, / creating the thickness of blue shadows.” A master of highly structured free verse, Major also paints sounds, enthralling the reader in a realm of private symbols and dream visions. Using dynamic, surreal images, this original collection invites readers into the poet’s own fascinating world.