Mirrors, Myths, and Dreams by Malcolm Glass

Malcolm Glass‘s magic is his ability to write about what lies around us–brittle leaves, peanut butter, playing cards and mildew–and as we settle down to see these things more clearly, his words gently lift them up toward myth and meaning. In his book’s last poem, he describes the “dogwoods / in their dance and hymning . . .wheeling toward the first breath of the stars.” This pattern is set early on, when his mother is “kneading . . . my fevered / muscles, her thumbs working / down between my shoulder / blades as if searching / for the hidden buds of wings.” In today’s chaotic times, these poems combine a sharp eye with a wise affection for the world. That’s a gift.

–Peter Meinke, Poet Laureate of Florida

Mirrors, Myths and Dreams, the collection of new poems by Malcolm Glass, is an incandescent feast of images and insights from one of our master poets. This chapbook is a vivid display of Glass’s powerful gifts of seeing and singing through life’s surfaces to the infinite truths and connections beyond the obvious. His ability to make us feel the eternity in seemingly common memories is reminiscent of Welty and evokes the same guiding light behind her lifelong, soaring theme: “Two thoughts, two things survive the last breath—Memory and Love.”

–Samuel Jones

Forty years have passed since I first read a poem by Malcolm Glass, and it’s satisfying to know that the same magnetism that pulled me into his words then is alive in this newest collection. These verses show a master wordsmith at work and highlight Malcolm’s particular strengths as a poet. He is a keen observer whose ability has been honed to a razor edge through forays into art and photography; Malcolm sees what the rest of us do not. He has this uncanny knack of turning the simple and subtle into the sublime. And in the tradition of another great American poet, Robert Frost, Malcolm still seems to be “remembering things he didn’t know he knew,” bringing a freshness to his poems and a genuine sense of wonder. This collection puts Malcolm’s words back where they deserve to be—on the printed page and in the hands of readers who appreciate the best poetry.

–Dr. Randy Mackin