The Burning Alphabet

Shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for Poetry 2005; Winner of the CAA Poetry Award.

The Burning Alphabet confirms and extends Barry Dempster's reputation as one of Canada's most respected poets. Underpinning these poems, as in his previous work, there lies an unswerving dedication to emotional and spiritual honesty, clear-eyed recognitions rendered without pomp. In one section, Sick Days, he focuses on that other place of chronic illness. Other poems present arguments against suicide, and explore the tropical wonders of a woman's closet. The closing section renders, with great candour and poignancy, the powerful love-hate relationship with an aging father. Dempster writes as though it were simply natural to have speech and song cohabit with such grace.