Poetry. "With a simplicity of phrasing, directness of address, and nimble first-mindedness, the poems in STAR IN THE EYE convey great depth, zest, and mystery. Their brevity is anathema to fragmentation; instead playfully and mordantly, they honor 'what will suffice,' as Stevens says, with a calligraphic precision and flair. If anyone could cut a diamond with a paintbrush, it would be James Shea—his work is so marvelous; utterly lucent and revivifyingly strange"—Dean Young.

Author Hometown: CHICAGO, IL USA



About the author: A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, James Shea currently teaches poetry writing and literature at Columbia College Chicago and DePaul University. STAR IN THE EYE is his first book. STAR IN THE EYE was named as a "Favorite Book of 2008" by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Reviews:
Melinda Wilson @ Coldfront
Douglas Piccinnini @ Verse blog
Jacquelyn Davis @ Bookslut
Nick Demske @ Gently Read Literature
Zach Savich at CutBank
Nick Admussen @ Boston Review