Eating the Pure Light – An Homage to Thomas McGrath

“All of us live twice at the same time-once uniquely and once representatively. I am interested in those moments when my unique personal life intersects with something bigger, when my small brief moment has a part in ‘fabricating the legend.”
• Thomas McGrath (1916-1990)

This statement from an interview shows why McGrath remains one of our most important poets. Why else, you ask? There’s his attention to craft and language, whether in a poem of a few lines or a book-length epic. His refusal to constrain the poetic imagination. His compassion for others, especially “working stiffs.” His ability to write with tenderness, humor, and defiance-sometimes all in the same poem. And, perhaps most importantly, his poetry continues to speak to our time. To honor the poet and his poetry, this anthology was born. Some of the poems affectionately recall McGrath’s life. Other poems examine the world with his bite and wit. Read this book and see for yourself-the legacy of Thomas McGrath endures.
• John Bradley