After Ikkyu and Other Poems

Jim Harrison's popular novels represent only part of his literary output—he has also been widely acclaimed for the "renegade genius" of his powerful, expressive verse, collected in several books such as The Theory and Practice of Rivers and Other Poems (Clark City Press, 1989). After Ikkyu is the first collection of Harrison's poems that are directly inspired by his many years of Zen practice."Behind the words one always feels the presence of a passionate, exuberant man who is at the same time possessed of a quick, subtle intelligence and a deeply questioning attitude toward life. He writes so winningly that one is simply content to be in the presence of a writer this vital, this large-spirited."— New York Times Book Review

"After Ikkyu typifies the attitude of making the best of an unpredictable and yearning universe, turning basic survival into koans that make the reader think and wonder about the world we live in. Harrison has the poet's gift of making the most everyday occurrences suddenly seem miraculous and fresh."—Kathleen Youmans, Small Press Jim Harrison is the author of numerous novels, including Legends of the Fall, Julip, and Wolf: A False Memoir. His most recent previous book of poetry is The Theory and Practice of Rivers.