Katabasis English Poetry. Border Crossings by Christopher Hampton

Christopher Hampton
Border Crossings
Poetry. 2005. 87 pages.
ISBN 0 904872 41 6. £7.95.

These poems persistently cross the borderlines of time and place and history in search of renewal in 'a darkened and damaged universe', where 'the broken imperatives of promise' so often seem to end in defeat. Here, faced by the uncertainties of what is now being described, in the bankrupt language of Western propaganda, as a new world order, the road-maps and signposts that might point us forward are few and obscure. With 'disciplined passion', resisting the brutalist contempt of the 'killers of community', the poems pursue 'itineraries of hope' that enable the poet to celebrate all that 'remains from a lifetime undefeated.'

'A set of extraordinarily impressive poems, writing that straightaway demands respect for its assuredness of tone, its deeply-thoughtful and passionate commitment, its honest and courageous political plain-speaking...This is a deeply-caring and honest poet. Every politician should be obliged to read this compelling collection of poems and sit a test on it. It is one of those collections one immediately wants to share with everyone. It's a book I feel I've been waiting for.' -- Stride
'A kind of underlying sadness about what could be but isn't ... I don't see any great gulf between the political and personal poems, because both seem to me to have a wealth of human feeling in them.' -- Ambit
'There is some wonderful stuff in this collection.' -- Acumen
'Hampton makes the right words seem easy, with poetry as full of passion as of reason, that flows effortlessly across the page like a stream flowing through the meadows in spring... His range of reference is broad: history, literature, music and nature are interwoven with politics (these are the BORDER CROSSINGS) to produce poetry that is heavy with resonance but appealing to the eye and the ear.' -- New Hope International
'What he has to say needs saying, not least because it has become "the unsayable." -- Morning Star

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		Christopher Hampton Border Crossings Poetry. 2005. 87 pages. ISBN 0 904872 41 6. £7.95. These poems persistently cross the borderlines of time and place and history in search of renewal in 'a darkened and damaged universe', where 'the broken imperatives of promise' so often seem to end in defeat. Here, faced by the uncertainties of what is now being described, in the bankrupt language of Western propaganda, as a new world order, the road-maps and signposts that might point us forward are few and obscure. With 'disciplined passion', resisting the brutalist contempt of the 'killers of community', the poems pursue 'itineraries of hope' that enable the poet to celebrate all that 'remains from a lifetime undefeated.' 'A set of extraordinarily impressive poems, writing that straightaway demands respect for its assuredness of tone, its deeply-thoughtful and passionate commitment, its honest and courageous political plain-speaking...This is a deeply-caring and honest poet. Every politician should be obliged to read this compelling collection of poems and sit a test on it. It is one of those collections one immediately wants to share with everyone. It's a book I feel I've been waiting for.' -- Stride 'A kind of underlying sadness about what could be but isn't ... I don't see any great gulf between the political and personal poems, because both seem to me to have a wealth of human feeling in them.' -- Ambit 'There is some wonderful stuff in this collection.' -- Acumen 'Hampton makes the right words seem easy, with poetry as full of passion as of reason, that flows effortlessly across the page like a stream flowing through the meadows in spring... His range of reference is broad: history, literature, music and nature are interwoven with politics (these are the BORDER CROSSINGS) to produce poetry that is heavy with resonance but appealing to the eye and the ear.' -- New Hope International 'What he has to say needs saying, not least because it has become "the unsayable." -- Morning Star
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