Publisher's Synopsis
The fact that John Mole has often written for children may be behind a preoccupation, felt throughout his poetry, with the passing on of experience; certainly it gives his poems a concise clarity. Personal memories are explored with a sharpness which avoids sentimentality while the seriousness of many of his subjects is addressed with a blend of affection, sardonic humour and a characteristic lightness of touch. Political, intimate and exceptionally readable, The Point of Loss engages with its subjects in a variety of verse styles, ensuring that every poem is memorable in its own right despite the range of Mole’s interests. As John Clare, Herod and Billie Holiday rub shoulders with figures from the writer’s own life, it is the significance we have to one another which is fleshed out here without pretension. Several of the poems owe much to his involvement with music and the visual arts, particularly jazz and film, but rather than providing a diversion they contribute to a way of looking at the world which strengthens the unity of the collection as a whole. In a collection that is never other than empowering, positive and humanist, John acknowledges the odds stacked against each person, but looks to poetry to change our perceptions.
