A brilliant new collection of poems by Kingsley Tufts Award–winning poet Thomas Lux

With To the Left of Time, Thomas Lux adds more than fifty new poems to his celebrated oeuvre. Broken into three sections, these include semi-autobiographical poems, odes, and a final section that delves into a variety of subjects reflective of Lux’s imaginative range. Full of his characteristic satire and humor, this new collection promises laughter and profound insight into the human condition.

To the Left of Time is a powerful addition to the work of one who has been widely praised for his ability to offer image- and metaphor-driven visions as well as lines of plain language and immediacy. This collection proves that Lux’s work will continue to inspire readers for decades to come.

A collection that balances sharp wit with profound observation:

• Humorous and Satirical Voice: Lux finds the absurdity in everything from horse poisoners to historical figures, delivered with a directness that makes the laughter hit even harder.
• Narrative Poetry: These are not just poems, but stories—about boys and cows, family secrets, and the small, strange moments that define a life.
• Odes to the Overlooked: A full section of the book is devoted to celebrating the unsung corners of the world, from fire hydrants and erasers to the lichen on a stone.
• Plain Language, Profound Insight: Discover a masterful poet who speaks in clear, immediate language, proving that the most complex truths can be found in the simplest words.

"After a long career, the multi-award-winning Lux luxuriates in a chance to weigh the past ('What we were thinking/ was bombing the cows with dirtballs') against the present ('Always nervous around the cheerful,/ though drawn to them, always leery/ of the happy, I now find myself cheerful,/ and that makes me nervous'). After a first section loaded with unsentimentalized rural images—there's snow-covered manure and a string of small tragedies from a putative horse poisoner to a cousin's scarlet fever—we arrive at a selection of tongue-in-cheek or modestly touching odes ('I never meant to confuse/ those who thought—without malice/ and with some concern—otherwise: I was average'). A third section acutely observes the world ('Everything I hear is overviolined') as a sense of quiet acceptance threads its way throughout. VERDICTAn accessible collection that will have broad appeal."—Library Journal