James Morehead

In this collection of memoir poems, James C. Morehead (Poet Laureate of Dublin, California) brings universal themes to life through journeys to the USSR and the mountains of Tuscany, the concert halls in San Francisco and a tiny town in Wyoming, the cables of Yosemite’s Half Dome and the beaches of Normandy. "In this second collection of poems, James Morehead's imagery is vivid, spare and elemental, and it is consistently chosen and arranged to achieve intensely poetic effects. The rhythmic control is impeccable. The centerpiece of this collection, a long series of poems that chronicle a trip through the former Soviet Union, is a fast moving, impressionistic feast of imagery. Sunglasses, denim shirts, vodka debauches, dollars, rubles, steely-eyed Russian authorities ever on the lookout for forbidden deals - all of it is transparent and engaging." - Carmine Di Biase, Distinguished Professor of English, Emeritus - Jacksonville State University

memoir poems

portraits of red and gray

"James Morehead's Canvas opens itself to the poetry of everyday life, where stanzas are etched in sand, and poems end in sunset. Combining micro-narratives of Boston bullies cornering a young boy, with minute descriptions of time in quarantine, it draws us into moving tableaus of tenacious attention to what went down, what might come up, and where we might find ourselves. These are poems to be savored, re-read, kept handy for those times when only poetry will do." ‒ W. J. T. MITCHELL, Senior Editor of Critical Inquiry and Gaylord Donnelley Distinguished Service Professor, English and Art History, University of Chicago In his debut collection, James Morehead paints powerful images of life, love, and loss through the thoughtful selection and careful placement of words. "canvas" features the extraordinary art of Kari Byron and Alla Tsank. The year 2020 and its pandemic-induced solitude inspired the poems that lead this collection. Most are autobiographical, in particular the title poem “canvas,” and collectively form a fragmented memoir of memories and melancholy. Some are fanciful, like “tethered,” inspired by a fleeting image seen while hiking the Pacific coastline. All strive to paint images in the reader’s mind through the power of poetry. “James creates an enchanting melody of poetic sound for the reader page after page. He notices life’s details with a tender yet precise eye, down to the ‘streets glistening with midnight rain’ and ‘summer bursting outwards / fierce from its slumber.’ Using this keen observation, James breaks past life’s routines to uncover gems of beauty. To read Canvas is to be transported to a world infused with meaning and memory.” - Morgan Liphart, author of Barefoot and Running

poems

canvas

A mesmerizing collection of eerie, image-rich poems that explore the fleeting nature of existence and friendship, inspired by the world of art and artists. The Plague Doctor combines poetry with mesmerizing ink drawings by Natalia Ardus, art by Mark Kulas and Tony Rubino, and photography by the author. Poet and musician Lisa Marie Simmons writes in her forward to the collection, “I’ve read this collection three, four, then five times. In my office, in the tour van and the green room, after yoga, and once bundled up beneath an ancient olive tree. Despite those many deep dives, it never seems enough to complete this forward. So I returned—six, seven, ten times. Each reading has me focusing on something new, and a year from now, I know more discoveries will be made as my perspective shifts with my own experiences. This is one of the many things I love about poetry and, in particular, Poet Laureate of Dublin, California, James Morehead’s poetry.” "With an ekphrastic eye for everything from street art to cherry blossom petals amassed on damp grass, James Morehead's poetry pulses with vibrant detail. Whether it's Jimmy Page strumming a mandolin or ruminations of a sourdough starter, Morehead's speaker is equally intent on listening. In his new collection, The Plague Doctor, this poet has created a vivid document that captures what it means to be perpetually inspired by the world in all its facets." - Tina Cane, Poet Laureate of Rhode Island and author of Body of Work and Year of the Murder Hornet “The literary community has been waiting for a collection like this, which moves beyond simple ekphrasis, creating poetry that illuminates art as well as the reader's understanding of what it means to be human.” - Kristina Marie Darling, Editor-in-Chief, Tupelo Press & Tupelo Quarterly “The poems ricochet off the visual images in unexpected ways, so that this book - where word and image converge - reminds me of a pinball machine. As in that song by The Who, Morehead is our ‘pinball wizard.’ Whether writing free verse, haikus, or ballad-like rhymes, he ‘sure plays a mean pinball.’ Morehead creates his own boisterous ‘cacophony of bells / that flash in reds, greens, and golds.’” - Donald Platt, author of Swansdown

James Morehead

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