It is nice to see some of our backlist -- and our backlist poetry -- getting a bit of late coverage. Below is a review of Norm Sibum's Pangborn Defence, which runs in this week's Concordia Link.
It is not every night that you’re kept up reading a book and have trouble putting it down.
What Norm Sibum has delivered with his third published series of poems, The Pangborn Defence, is just that. His use of language and characters create a beautiful symphony of images and storytelling.
With Sibum’s latest work, he delivers a change of scenery from previous outings, like Girls and Handsome Dogs, for which he won the Quebec Writers’ Federation's A.M. Klein Prize.
Sibum captivates his audience and sends them on a journey through what seems like his own life history.
Having grown up in Germany, then travelling to Alaska, Utah and Washington and finally settling in Montreal, Sibum has let his inspiration from different worlds and cultures infuse his poetry.
Through political undertone, Sibum compares past conflicts with their modern equivalents. This isn’t just another middle finger to the establishment; Sibum seems serious in his mockery of political targets, but underneath his words it is evident that he wants to find a way to change things, to make them better.
Through his characters, Sibum has left us questioning how we can make our own mark on the world today, a sentiment that can be shared by the young and experienced alike.
Sibum has managed somehow to mix humour, gravity, originality and truth in his writing. Within the portraits that Sibum paints with his words, we are always left with a sense of accomplishment, yearning and captivation. He brings readers back to the past by introducing a new kind of present. He has the power to change what we think is so normal in today’s world.
Pick up a copy and prepare to have your world changed.
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