from the field book by Carol Thistlethwaite (paperback)
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"How do you get 'the jizz' on birds? The language of guidebooks is only a start; the language of poetry takes us further and especially when it's as crafted and innovative as the poetry of Carol Thistlethwaite. This is a collection that invites you into a particular world and does so with great success; a world of keen observation where language is achingly precise and lucid, pushed to the boundaries of observation. Here sound and shape combine to allow the reader 'that wordless leap', the moment of epiphany 'to recognition/jizz'." Jan Fortune-Wood from the field book excerpt Click here for more information about Carol Thistlethwaite Reviews: Readers of many magazines will be very familiar with Carol's name and poetry, and of course, her excellent reviews in Carillon, for which she has been a tower of support So it gives me much pleasure to highlight this, her first collection. The book has a nice feel to it and my copy, though it's been around a bit, still looks good: clearly a quality publication - and matched by its contents (which you would expect with an editor like Sam Smith involved). The poems emanate from Carol's love of ornithology. Indeed, the contents page reads like a Birds of Britain "Who's Who". Some poems are located in time and space - Lapwings... 5th December 2005, Rufford. etc. Most are not, but you do get the feel of much travelling and much time spent with her book, pen and binoculars in the open air. Three things stand out: Carol's bird knowledge, her observational powers and her poetic skill. The poetry, firmly paced in a "modern" arena, is replete with technique. But above the technique is the quality and quantity of imagery, action and moods packing these pages. It is difficult to choose examples from the plentiful so I'll pick a couple or so of my personal favourites chief amongst which is Cemlyn Bay a two-verse poem which starts gently: Just one of those evenings when mist holds the setting sun subdues it to an April linnet's blush, Just one of those dusks That levels the sea so we can watch... and then switches in the second half: then bolt awake as tern plover jerk and cry alarm... And then there's the startling, metaphorical Wren: - a chuck of tiny clockworks all chiming coils and springs, ully wound, brand new from the box... The circling and juxtaposition of men and birds in Gannets off Bass Rock struck me, too: Circling higher, seeing further deeper, gannets prey on fish where a would-be king hunted heir to throne... which ends with the men circling higher and seeing further, deeper. One opening line raised an amused eyebrow: Oh Happy Chough: round here, a "Chuff' is definitely not a bird, nor sensible! We're told that this book gives us the "Jizz". er ... what is "Jizz"? Whatever it is, it seems good, though. There are no long, tedious poems here. No, they are mostly bite-sized. You can easily imagine them as jottings in a field notebook - which brings us back to the title and, undoubtedly, the poems' solid provenance. It's a lovely book, perhaps more for dipping into regularly than reading straight through. One for ornithologists? Yes. One for poets? Definitely. And a bargain at the price. Graham Rippon I never knew how little I know about birds till I read this book of poems. The poetry dances with movement, the movements of birds, light, airy, full of flights and dips, insights like flashes of wings and tail feathers. There are a few humans mixed in, but not enough to spoil this wonderful play of wildness and nature. Dip into it, drown in it, fly with it, 'from the field book' is a delight of avian (and alien) culture. Carol Fenlon These poems are skilfully crafted and immensely satisfying to read and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Dee McMahon for Neon Highway Walk through these poems and you will find yourself on shores, in woodland and marshes, amongst mudflats, rocks and creeks. These places are evoked with as sure a touch as the vital and often ebullient descriptions of the birds, who are the heroes and heroines of this collection. Carol, a long time member of the RSPB, knows and loves the Avian world in a way many of us could not begin to understand, but through her eyes we gain a deeper awareness of the morals and mores of the feathered community. We are lulled as we listen… …to each tern gently rustle down, on the islet of sleep, where plover already rest with feather over beak, then startled awake by redshank… Quick stepper of the mud, run, run, stab, run, run, stab, to life's rapid beat, We are taken on a journey of discovery to a greater knowledge of birds, we grasp their essence, their infinite variations, their ways of moving and flying, there is an intensity and urgency in many of the lines that is almost painful, as in 'Kestrel,'… Hunger hunting eyes cut the marsh, focussed like a scimitar, razored as the air. I think these poems will inspire any reader to look more closely at what is happening on our shores, in the countryside, in our gardens, all around us, by the way these delicate, often elegant, and sometimes aggressive creatures, come to life on the pages. Kate Edwards Carol Thistlethwaite's love of ornithology inspired this collection. Her acute observation and knowledge honed and shaped the contents to make each poem as individual as each bird. Les Merton From the beginning, these poems get to the essence of human perception, but which enter - as much as is humanly possible - the consciousness of birds which are their focus. The delicacy of line and line-break enacts this, though sometimes it's the work of diction. Intense observation precedes translation into the most memorable of literary language. Robert Sheppard With little interest to speak of in ornithology I approached this review with some hesitation until Carol Thistlethwaite showed me what I had been missing all these years. A more delightful lesson on ornithology would be difficult to find; it is a journey through the joys of bird watching in the evocative language of poetry. To pick out the descriptive gems in this work would be a daunting task - there are so many of them. The only problem I had was the occasional use of esoteric terminology but that was a simple matter to overcome. The layout of the poetry is innovative and fascinating. Not only do we read about the characteristics and behaviour of different species but the arrangement of words on some pages succeed in illustrating patterns of flocks of birds in flight. On one page I did not realise immediately what Carol was doing as I was trying to read the words first and then study the plan but I soon learned to take in words and geometric patterns simultaneously. Furthermore, in places, the language is brilliantly contrived to give us the sounds of the different calls and the rustling of the leaves on the trees. I expect there will soon be a copy of this collection in every hide. I recommend this book to the complete beginner as well as the experienced birdwatcher. Carol Thistlethwaite is a poet of incomparable skill and artistry. Peter Tomlinson, The Petronicus Legacy from the field book by Carol Thistlethwaite is a poetry collection commisioned for BeWrite Books by Sam Smith at Select 6.