The House of Sages

Poetry. Jewish Studies. In this revised first collection of poetry the Terman's speaker carries himself without skin, absorbing the particulars of the human struggles in its many dogged and eloquent forms, and recording it with capacious empathy. The writing is rich with the need to convey his confrontations and affections, and not simply in the striking detail but in the whole moment of his memory. Terman's poems, like those of James Wright, have a down-to-earth mysticism, a hard-earned spirituality which cuts through the haze of everyday. This collection is remarkable for its range, depth, and mature vision. Terman captures the heart of people, and the heart of places.