The third full collection by Brian Johnstone, and his second to be published by Arc in their Poetry from the UK & Ireland series, May 2014.
reviews
A Poetic master ... [a] skilled builder, who knows how to weight his words and fit them together with care.
Susan Mansfield, Scotland on Sunday
One of the delights of Johnstone’s poetry is the precision of his imagery. [The] poems range widely in subject matter but the collection coheres. This is provided in part by the consistent musicality of Johnstone’s writing. Throughout the collection, the internal rhymes and rhythms lift the poems off the page.
Lindsay Macgregor, Dundee University Review of the Arts
Johnstone's poems are meticulously crafted, grounded and resonant by their own measure…the poet's language and construction bear[ing] an inspiring semblance to his theme and suggest[ing] a veiled world that exists beyond his subject.
Philip Clement, Stride
Subject matter full of movement is stilled by…elegant and sophisticated verse… Nothing in here is humdrum, nothing is over-personal. It’s a kaleidoscope of language as well as of the world. Brian Johnstone’s voice has reached mastery in these poems. You can tell who wrote them.
Sally Evans, Northwords Now
comments
Brian Johnstone appears to have taken to heart, or learned by instinct and experience, Robert Frost’s advice to avoid approaching a poem’s subject too directly. A consequence of this is that Johnstone’s poems establish their own presence, leaving room for mystery and lyricism to emerge with a convincing uniqueness. Dry Stone Work is a robust collection, packed with original strengths, delicacies, variety, and a vivid awareness of life. An impressive collection, then, not just to be recommended, but to be read and re-read. Douglas Dunn
The use of language is authentic and precise, and the perception of an often-hidden world fascinating and genuine. David Morley on The Ring Cycle sequence
Good variety and 'finish' - I was struck by the way the poems conclude: like a potter taking things deftly off the wheel. Alexander Hutchison
[In his] poetry he often wears his heart on his sleeve but the thread of the jacket frequently matches your own... Neil Anderson, introduction at book launch
cover image
Star Chart by Will Maclean