Fourteen year old boy wonder Joseph Tanson hobnobs with the best of poetic lights in the literary firmament and finds it a comfortable, even homey, place to be. Tanson has no other reason for being there except talent. For one so young, a poetry collection such as Barren Streets speaks, perhaps, in a language that a more mature audience will empathize with and understand as the general precociousness of Tanson's age group.
The youth of today is far, far different from the youth of, say, two decades ago. Today, they have the means to reach far out into the most rarefied fields of knowledge. Not that the boy wonder does not speak with a young voice. Yet it is a voice that speaks of things in a sensible and relevant manner about subjects not usually taken up by such a voice. It will surprise readers, who, poem by poem, will be convinced that Tanson knows where he is coming from, has a genuine touch for truth and a scalpel-like intelligence that must be understood in the context of his age group. In other words, Barren Streets may be appreciated for its sincerity and vision, one limited only by the range of experience. Experience, though, will come in time and it will be a rewarding experience for young Joseph Tanson's followers to watch his poetry (or any other literary work) take on the textures of lived life as he matures and ages.
Barren Streets, seen from the context of objective literary standards, will stand on its own as the work of a real artist. It works hard on these streets, coming up with amazing observations on life, concrete hook-laden images that stay long in the imagination's retina and a poetics that has advanced far enough to challenge any working poet twice Tanson's age thus:
I am the one
Who'll look you in the eye
Stand in the sun
Breathe in a forgotten sigh
From the poem "No Time," the preceding quatrain says that the young poet will be here for the long haul and that his experience today will be as relevant for him in his future. As a nod to his relative youthfulness, readers will appreciate how the poet, no matter how dark or serious his subjects are, will always endeavor to find and cross over to the sunnier side of his Barren Streets. The span of lived time as poet and artist, for Tanson, will be far longer than most and his work will, God-willing, span decades, trends and fashions that will be distilled by the poetic eye into unique vision and rare wisdom.
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About the Author
Fourteen-year-old Joseph Nicoli Tanson enjoys singing with the community choir, excels in his leadership class at high school, and currently serves as freshman class president. The young author does very well as a public speaker and serves as a docent at an art center. He has volunteered at a plant nursery and spends time with the elderly. He enjoys the outdoors and especially enjoys the time he spends with his friends.
Barren Streets * by Joseph Tanson
Publication Date: June 12, 2013
Trade Paperback; $15.99; 76 pages; 978-1-4836-4265-9
Trade Hardback; $24.99; 76 pages; 978-1-4836-4266-6
eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4836-4267-3
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