Darkness Moves

August 1, 1994
French painter Michaux (1899-1984) explored the subconscious mind and the effects of such hallucinogens as mescalin not only in pigment but in poetry. Here, poet Ball offers a generous and delightful selection from Michaux's published works; his translation skills bring Michaux's words to life in English, giving them the same energy and nimbleness they have in their original French. Many of the works in this anthology are prose poems, but this is essentially a collection of verse, one that requires continual reading the way a bag of peanuts requires continual eating. Observations on human interactions, as well as the life of the mind, abound. Highly recommended for most public and academic libraries; this poetry should have wide appeal. (Photos not seen.)-Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley P.L., Cal.