More Light

These are the poems of a world-traveler, writer, scholar and polymath philosopher, collected and carefully selected over twelve years. Though well known as an epic poet, science fiction writer, literary critic and public intellectual, here he is in his own life and his own voice. The book begins with a series of poems influenced by the Tang Chinese poetsthat passionately celebrate a particular place, and minutely observe the dailystrangeness of human life. A group of intimate portraits of real people follows, probing the mysteries of personhood, its quiet heroism and fundamental mystery. The view now opens up wider and wider to a grand tour of the globe itself, the tragicomic stage of many cultures and many places. Poetic travel journals recount odd adventures around the planet, with poetry as the traveler s tent. The collection concludes with a group of philosophical reflections on history, human biology and evolution, religion and time, and a response to Rilke s challenge that we must change our lives. Goethe a major inspiration called in his dying moment for more light, giving the book its title. Turner works almost always in metrical forms sometimes classical, sometimes invented whose music recalls the grand poetic tradition across the world.