The Duende of Tetherball

The Duende of Tetherball fearlessly ransacks the scrutinizing role of the past on the present; the interactions and accountabilities of ourselves and other species; the challenges and pleasures of getting older and forever striving to balance our most cherished and often incomprehensible relationships both with the world and each other. Bowling strives to account for and address our human need to resolve the tension between personal freedom and a world burdened by increasing homogenization and centralized control by adopting an industry of personal fortitude and thoughtful redress. He seeks to remember and to remember again the lessons polished over a lifetime: “Fifteen, scared but still apt / to toss “damn thee black / thou cream-faced loon” / in PE class at the rippling back / of some hoop or net-bound jock, / I was learning – too soon – / the only lesson that counts: / how to be alone.”

AUTHOR

Tim Bowling

Tim Bowling is the author of twenty-two works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. He is the recipient of numerous honours, including two Edmonton Artists’ Trust Fund Awards, five Alberta Literary Awards, a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, two Writers’ Trust of Canada nominations, two Governor General’s Literary Award nominations and a Guggenheim Fellowship in recognition of his entire body of work.

Reviews

“…My expectations of the poet, however, are substantial. Nothing short of meaning will do. Bonus points for a gasp of recognition, followed by a good weep. As you can imagine, I am often disappointed. Not so with Tim Bowling’s latest slim volume, The Duende of Tetherball.” ~Liane Faulder, Edmonton Journal, October 2016″Using his lush poetic voice, Bowling plays with the tension between generations and species. He brings together vast experiences and distant moments in a single poem as if time were as pliable as the rope on a tetherball pole. As he reflects on his own relationships with his family and his responsibility to the environment through sensitive language, he leads the reader in a remembrance of lessons lost. A seasoned poet, Bowling’s lyrical skills are clearly exhibited in his latest collection, which will be appreciated by anyone who wishes to have a scrutinizing reflection on their place in the world.” ~ Matthew Stepanic, Where Edmonton, January/February 2017