canvas: poems

In his debut collection, James Morehead paints powerful images of life, love, and loss through the thoughtful selection and careful placement of words. "canvas" features the extraordinary art of Kari Byron and Alla Tsank. The year 2020 and its pandemic-induced solitude inspired the poems that lead this collection. Most are autobiographical, in particular the title poem "canvas," and collectively form a fragmented memoir of memories and melancholy. Some are fanciful, like "tethered," inspired by a fleeting image seen while hiking the Pacific coastline. All strive to paint images in the reader's mind through the power of poetry. "The poems are haunting, musical, and precise. It was a pleasure to read them." - W. J. T. MITCHELL, Senior Editor of Critical Inquiry and Gaylord Donnelley Distinguished Service Professor, English and Art History, University of Chicago