Clive in the mood for Thaliad

Art by Clive Hicks-Jenkins
See Clive's posts on Thaliad here
Book design by Elizabeth Adams

Available
in pb via indies, Bookshop, Amazon, etc.,
and in both hc/pb from Phoenicia Publishing

Clive, this morning in Wales: 'Ark', a chapter heading from Marly Youman's poem/novel, 'Thaliad'. I set out on my 'Thaliad' adventure with some trepidation, wary of its author's description in several e-mails of being a post-apocalypse-themed epic-poem. Ahead of reading it I wondered what I might offer to add to its words, but as I worked through the manuscript making my notes, I became completely lost in it. Though I've loved all the works I've illustrated for Marly, this is a personal favourite. It was also the first book in which I felt I really began to understand how to 'decorate' the pages of a text. I'm going to return to it when I've finished my current read. I feel it's what I need right now. It was published by Phoenicia Publishing and is still available from them.

* * *

I'm glad that Thaliad is still in print, still trickling out into the world, and I'm happy that Clive thinks it right-for-right-now. (We need to outlaw the phrase, "trying times," and a few others that have sprung up like dandelions. Well, I don't mean to insult those little starry suns in our yards and meadows. How about these? Like Japanese knotweed. Like bishop's weed. Like unwanted periwinkle.)

Postscript to "Precipitous slippage"

Illumination by Clive Hicks-Jenkins
 for Thaliad

I've really enjoyed the comments here and on Facebook about my "Precipitous slippage" post--the fun including meeting a poet I like and learning a lot more about other writer friends as well. And now look at this fine news about Thaliad, along with a wonderful, hopeful message about poetry from Phoenicia Publishing editor Beth Adams. Breaking the 400-mark was an initial dream goal for me, though it's often impossible for a poetry book. Truth to tell, I wasn't sure anyone would buy a wild, post-apocalyptic, book-length adventure in blank verse! So now I'm dreaming about 500, 600, more....

Beth Adams
Just for the record, sales of Thaliad are well over 400 copies - 425, in fact - and it continues to sell; it was the best seller at Phoenicia among our pre-2016 titles last year. This says to me that formalist poetry has lasting power in our time, and also it is well worthwhile to produce such books as the most beautifully designed and illustrated editions we can while making them affordable for ordinary readers.

Just before Christmas, I gave a copy to a friend who I thought might appreciate it. She ended up buying twelve copies to give to her own friends, and exclaimed over what an extraordinary work it is; she loved the edition and the artwork by Clive Hicks-Jenkins, but what struck her the most was the story Marly Youmans has told in the form of an epic poem for our time.

In other words, beautiful books with carefully wrought words and a timeless message are still sought out by certain readers, and we need to encourage their writing and making, because they will last.