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Snake IV

Original Grace

Gary Lemons author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Red Hen Press

Published:8th Jul '21

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Snake IV cover

In the concluding chapter of the Snake Quartet, Snake IV explores humanity's impact on the Earth through a poetic journey of transformation and hope.

In Snake IV, the final installment of the Snake Quartet, the narrative weaves a poignant tapestry that explores the consequences of humanity's negligence toward the Earth. Through evocative poetry, the author highlights the urgent need for responsible stewardship, as the planet teeters on the brink of ecological collapse. This book serves as both a reflection and a call to action, urging readers to recognize the fragile state of our environment and the interconnectedness of all life forms.

The protagonist, Snake, embarks on a transformative journey through an immense, shadowy house, symbolizing the complexities of existence and the weight of collective memory. As she navigates through darkened rooms, she encounters spectral creatures from various timelines, each seeking solace or assistance. These encounters illustrate the haunting repercussions of past actions and the pressing need for redemption. The house, constructed from the very fabric of poetry, stands resilient against the turmoil outside, embodying the power of words to transcend despair.

As Snake IV unfolds, Snake evolves from a solitary survivor into a mythic figure representing the collective voice of humanity. Her journey towards understanding and coherence reflects the broader struggle for identity and purpose in a world marked by chaos. This book not only concludes the series but also heralds a new beginning, as the darkness of night gives way to the promise of dawn, symbolizing hope and renewal for both Snake and the world at large.

“'We are here only right now— / Trembling in each other’s arms.' Part cautionary tale, part eulogy, Original Grace, the extraordinary conclusion to Gary Lemons’ post-apocalyptic Snake Quartet, careens along a devastating trajectory, land-mined with portent and longing. And yet, these astonishing poems are not without hope. 'Maybe it’s not courage / But duty that requires plants to / Stare at the sun until / They’re blind enough to bloom.' These are poems of witness by an evolved saint/sinner, the awakened inheritor of Berryman’s brilliance, navigating a dystopian future." —Alexis Rhone Fancher, author of The Dead Kid Poems, poetry editor, Cultural Weekly.


"In Original Grace, the amazing conclusion to the Snake Quartet, Gary Lemons has found a deep syntactical pulse in the language that mixes witnessing with hallucination—arching across this series of books, I have to observe that the imagination working here is not only compassionate but weeps for us all. And yet the passage through imagination lifts us in just the way Blake intended when he took a large rake to the King's messenger. I love these insurrections of mind. Taken as one book or as a whole the Snake Quartet is a relevant and signal accomplishment.  Praise no blame!" —Norman Dubie, author of Quotations of Bone

ISBN: 9781597091152

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

136 pages