{"product_id":"murmuration-9780999478431","title":"Murmuration","description":"\u003cp\u003eRod Picott's second collection of poems, \u003cem\u003eMurmuration\u003c\/em\u003e, is a walk down the crooked path of life. The thrill of a child's first bicycle, the looming death of a loved one, the wonder of nature and our relationship to it are all deftly explored. With Picott's keen eye, prosaic story-telling sensibility and comic dryness - poetry is made temporal without removing its spiritual power. Small and large revelations are on uncovered in \u003cem\u003eMurmuration\u003c\/em\u003e. Sex, work, racism, family, hope, loss, self-doubt and the small victories of life are all given weight in Picott's work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese poems carry the themes of family and aging with particular clarity and nuance. Those familiar with him will note that birds and other animals find their way into the collection in various forms. Nature and humanity are inextricable in Picott's world. The poems in \u003cem\u003eMurmuration \u003c\/em\u003eare darker than his previous collection, \u003cem\u003eGod In His Slippers. \u003c\/em\u003eObservational humor is always close at hand even in the most fatalistic poems. Lawn chairs, chainsaws, a tumbler of whiskey, Halloween candy, tractors, a soldier's boots and a scrap of cloth all have significance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMurmuration \u003c\/em\u003eassembles the small things of life, the minutia, the random and seemingly weightless held together by the exposition Picott brings to the unremarkable. It's this sleight of hand that makes these poems a remarkable addition to his collection of work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePicott, Rod:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \"Rod Picott is a former construction worker turned award winning singer-songwriter who has released ten albums since 2000. Picott has written a poetry collection God In His Slippers and a book of short stories Out Past The Wires both published by Mezcalita Press. Best selling author Nicholson Baker said of God in his Slippers \"Life-loving poems that tell you what you need to know.\" Rod Picott was born in New Hampshire, raised in Maine and has lived in Nashville Tennessee for twenty four years. Picott types with two fingers as he failed typing class - though excelled in English and Literature. For more information on Rod Picott's work visit: www.rodpicott.com\"","brand":"Mezcalita Press, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50873150603538,"sku":"9780999478431","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e77159e8-0cc9-4c6d-b2ee-8091f8fbeac7.jpg?v=1737921131","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/murmuration-9780999478431","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}