The Logic of Opposites

In her fourth collection of poetry, Alane Rollings grapples with the power and potency of philosophical and psychological opposites. This is a unique collection: combining a detached intimacy with a formal grandeur, Rollings addresses the opposition of stasis and action, depression and activity, sorrow and joy, and inquires into their power to shape both individual life and society as a whole. Written by a poet who has suffered from bipolar illness, these paired poems represent opposites in both mood and perspective: they are confessional without being autobiographical in detail; intimate and accessible while maintaining a curious detachment; utterly serious, yet often seductively casual in tone. These poems are an exploration of the nature of contradiction that are entirely, and convincingly, self-consistent.