Full speed through the morning dark
Matthew Tierney
*Out of Print*
September 2004
88 pages | ISBN 978-0-919897-97-7
Matthew Tierney’s debut collection of poetry is full of trains and visions. From Japan’s subtle intricacies to the harsh realities of the Trans-Mongolian Express, Tierney captures the experience of movement and the freedom and dislocation of the traveller with potent imagery and persuasive verse. Whether searching for his own history in his grandfather’s past in Wales, or stumbling through a Japanese lesson, Tierney’s poetry pulls you into the experience, and through to the other side with a new appreciation of the moment. A strong debut collection from an energetic new poet.
More information about Full speed through the morning dark
Reviews
Review (Melanie Maddix, PoetryReviews.ca, 04/09/2006)
"Full speed through the morning dark is not just about physical travel. It is a spiritual journey through loneliness, companionship, and contemplation of the future."
Book Reviews (Richard Joines, Southern Humanities Review, 3/1/2006)
"Tierney's genuine fascination with the infinitely strange human dramas in which he find himself allows him not only to craft charming poems but to express a generosity and sympathy we have not seen since James Wright."
Review (Black Coffee Poet, 10/03/2011)
"As you read you’re not seeing through Tierney’s eyes, it feels more like you’re sitting beside him as he watches what he’ll later write down on paper. "
Interviews
Interview with Black Coffee Poet (Black Coffee Poet, 10/05/2011)
Excerpt
"Night watch"
In the building across from me
the man in white underwear
is doing his sit-ups.
Behind him the television flickers
like a candle near the end of its wick.
The area of his six tatami mats
the same as mine, only his.
Futon lies unmade
closet door ajar
bottle of wine on the nightstand.
Evening music
floats through screens all over Tokyo.
I’m sure if we stretched
window to window
we could grasp hands.
About the Author
Tierney’s poetry has been published in many literary journals in Canada including The Malahat Review, The Fiddlehead, Event, The Antigonish Review, Prism International, The New Quarterly and Qwerty, as well as in the Brobdingnagian Times and Southword, in Cork, Ireland. He was born in a small town outside of Waterloo and grew up in Toronto, where he now lives. Several years ago, he spent some time in Japan teaching conversational English, and returned home by way of the Trans-Mongolian Express, an offshoot of the Trans-Siberian Express, one of the last great transcontinental train routes. He continues to take the subway to work every day.
