Clay County Pastoral

The poems of CLAY COUNTY PASTORAL by Steve Tompkins are tough in their tone but tender in their touch, gently evoking tales of hardscrabble living and idyllic scenes. Writes Juan J. Morales: "In his debut collection, Steve Tompkins assembles a vivid map of family legacy, war, PTSD, and childhood woven together with a zen wisdom that dots the poetic landscape. This amazing collection is filled with ferocious and tender moments that invite readers to get their hands dirty fishing the muddy rivers, to wander the pastoral fields of Missouri, and to sample the food toiled from the land. A powerful debut from a talented, emerging American poet." Adds David Keplinger: "Steve Tompkins begins his debut collection with a question for the heart: Are you willing to put your hand into the mouth of the unknown, ready and able to face the consequences of a vulnerable life? In this accomplished volume of poetry, Tompkins says yes to the 'whiskerfish' lurking in the dark pools of consciousness, a treasure that is ours to claim. With immense tenderness and intelligence, Tompkins crafts a collection within the poetic lineage of Robert Frost, Richard Hugo, and William Stafford - this is hard, stark, even haunting work, nevertheless suffused with musicality and pathos. His dialogues with the figure of Clayton Parker, notably his final elegy sequence, deserve to be set beside some of the best narrative poetry being written today."