By Daniel Perez-Crouse
Whether it be the final, blissful moments of a field dog, harrowing lamentations from the perspective of Civil War soldiers, biblical characters being given new voice, or observations on life and love, in Telling Signs, a new book of poetry by Marvin J. Lurie, the reader is plunged into a lifetime’s worth of poems found in the author’s first published collection. Lurie succinctly describes his style as “plain language” and “plain speech.” “My poetry is not academic, it’s not inspirational and it’s not spiritual (mostly). I value using plain language that anyone could understand if they want to. I try to pare down what I write to the simplest possible expression,” he said.
Part of what molded his preference for this style is a history of jobs, like being the editor of a monthly trade publication or president of a consulting and managing firm, that required him to convey ideas and concepts to everyday people. “I was always a communicator; I was always writing and I was always speaking. I had to be conscious of my audience, who were not fancy people,” he said.
However, Lurie made it clear that plain language shouldn’t be confused with simplistic words or messages. His poems contain complexity, metaphors and room for interpretation. “When you read a poem, its ownership passes from me to you. If you see something in there that’s important to you–that’s good. It’s yours now.”
For example, in “House,” the squeak of a stair triggers a brief appreciation for the narrator’s home that is personified as a loyal guardian and companion inevitably forgotten about in the routines of life. One can’t help but think this house may be an extension for all people and places that remain dutifully present, regardless of appreciation. The “plain language” of the poems is easy to follow, but they all cover a plethora of meaning and depth.
In regard to his contemporaries and inspirations, Lurie said, “People have asked me over the years if I have a favorite poet, and it’s whoever I happen to be reading at the time. What inspires me to write is the unknown.” It’s also hard for Lurie to nail down specific poets because what he’s sought out in poetry has changed so much over time. Despite this, Lurie has enjoyed the works of Robert Bly and Dylan Thomas.
Lurie moved to Portland in 2003 with his wife and has been an active member of the local poetry community. He had been accustomed to meeting with a group of poets every week. That ended with the coming of the pandemic, eventually leading him to the creation of his book.
As a project amidst the pandemic, he put all his poetry on a website and it served as his creative space. He then progressed to wanting it be part of a published collection.
Lurie never published a book before and worked with an editor to help him along the way. “He edited some of the poems a little bit. Sometimes I agreed, sometimes I didn’t. But then he put the book together. I sent it out to six or eight publishers and got a response from Finishing Line Press almost right away. I hadn’t known what to expect at all and it worked out quite well.”
When compiling poems for the book, Lurie didn’t have an overriding idea or criteria for what to include beyond whether he thought they were worth publishing. The ordering of the poems was done entirely by the editor. “He did it and I thought that was great. The order they are in is logical and they make sense. And I would have had a lot of trouble doing it. Because it’s a matter of which child do you like best when you’re putting them in order.”
When reflecting on the book now being released, he said, “I’m glad it’s there. I think it’s going to be my monument. It’s an important achievement.” He likes the idea of knowing there’s a number of copies floating around that people have read and might revisit again one day.
A great tip from Lurie when revisiting a collection like this is to read the poems in reverse order. You’re likely a different person by the time you’ve picked it up again and it’ll allow you to experience the poems in a completely different way.
If you’re interested in purchasing Telling Signs, head over to Finishing Line Press’s website, finishinglinepress.com/product/telling-signs-by-marvin-j-lurie.Â
Photo of author Marvin J. Lurie by Sylvia Lurie.
