Asterism

A remarkable debut, edited by Don Patterson, Asterism looks at everything from domesticity to transgression with narrative flair, heart-breaking humanity and formal skill

The poems of Asterism are a series of short, sideways-glimpsed fictions. Without answers, they feel their way through human experience, examining fallibility and forgiveness.

Some poems present characters in situations of crisis or constraint, while in others, ideas and obsessions overflow rational boundaries towards the transgressive and the devilish. These poems range widely, from the films of John Waters and Pasolini to da Vinci’s muse, a linguistic experiment conducted by Scotland’s James IV and the epic feats of Kirkcaldy’s own Jocky Wilson. Ultimately, they explore human connections and the workaday love that holds them together.

In touch with the poetic tradition, Grieve’s debut collection may sing of the heavenly and the diabolical, but its feet are planted firmly on the ground.