Gregory Orr Reflects on Life and Poetics in New Collection

The title references the familiar phrase from network television, setting the stage for a meditation on aging and loss, often through the lens of extinction and personal history. Orr opens with reflections on Orpheus, emphasizing a sense of purpose lost with age.

In “Pedagogy of Trauma,” Orr revisits the harrowing memory of a hunting accident in which he tragically killed his brother at the age of 12. This incident has been a focal point in previous works, including his notable poem “A Blessing” and “Gathering the Bones Together,” published in 1975. In his 2018 guide, Primer for Poets and Readers of Poetry, Orr advises novice poets to avoid attempting to encapsulate everything significant within a single poem, noting the complexity of important relationships over time. He explains that works addressing trauma can help exert control over such experiences. However, his current poem appears to gloss over the lingering pain, as if he has grown around his guilt like a tree encasing a fence’s barbs.

Despite its merits, some of Orr’s shorter pieces may come off as simplistic. Lines such as “Feet plead ‘Flee,’ / But heart begs ‘Stay’” feel more suited for a forgettable song. Other poems read like idle musings better suited for a private journal.

Nevertheless, Orr’s craftsmanship is noteworthy, as demonstrated in “It Was The Year We Learned,” a clever villanelle reflecting on the pandemic and the simple act of hand washing. He also engages with the theme of wearing masks in a subsequent poem, proving that any experience can become the subject of meaningful verse, particularly during periods of isolation.

In a distinctive list of proverbs, Orr articulates a guiding truth in his writing: “In life, the wound opens in. / In art, it opens out.”

Debra Cash is a Founding Contributing Writer to the Arts Fuse and serves on its Board.