|
||||||
In his first book, Small Circles of Time: Poems from a South Dakota Childhood, Lorence Gutterman writes in a clear-cut style reminiscent of Ted Kooser. His poems depict the difficulties and joys of childhood, a memorable cast of small town characters, and a love of the natural world—all of this the stuff of a latter-day Spoon River Anthology in which neither the good nor the bad is short-shrifted. This book reaches deep into the heart. Although the details of life in Flandreau, South Dakota are vividly specific, there is an archetypal feel to the trials and triumphs of a growing boy with the soul of an artist in a farm town community. That he is left-handed in a right-handed world and Jewish in a carol-singing parish are metaphors for his feeling of being different from others. Always, however, there is the joy of being the son of parents whose love is a blessing; and the book ends with a gorgeous series of poems in praise of the author’s mother. Physician and author Richard Selzer has commented that “Small Circles of Time by Lorence Gutterman is a collection of the finest poems of our time.
As a boy growing up in Flandreau, South Dakota, Lorence Gutterman helped to plant the family garden, worked in his parents’ general store, and roamed the countryside, learning “another way to look at life.” He graduated from the University of Virginia, majoring in religion and philosophy, and then went on to graduate from the Medical College of Virginia. As a physician, Lorence specialized in hematology and oncology, at the same time continuing his love of writing. In 2002 he shifted his focus from medicine to writing. After a move to West Hartford, Connecticut, he was invited by Dr. Richard Selzer to teach in the Humanities in Medicine Program at the Yale School of Medicine. At Yale, Lorence teaches creative writing workshops and is a mentor to students. He also teaches creative writing to prison inmates. Lorence centers his life with meditation and yoga, and most importantly with marriage to Sharon, his life partner of forty-eight years. They have three children and eight grandchildren. Click here to read sample poems from Small Circles of Time. Click here to view upcoming events. Click here to read additional material relevant to the book. |
||||||
BOOK STATISTICS ISBN 978-1-936482-02-3
|
|