Michael O'Brien (January 29, 1939 – November 10, 2016) was an American poet. He began his poetry career as part of the "Eventorium", a relatively obscure group of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

artists with an interest in surrealism. O’Brien’s early work is now extremely difficult to find, according to a 2007 review of his ''Sleeping and Waking'' by David Orr in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''.Review by David Orr
in ''The New York Times'' On Poetry: Words of the World"], New York Times Book Review, December 9, 2007, accessed April 17, 2008 His book, ''Sleeping and Waking'' was a finalist for the 2007

National Book Critics Circle The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) is an American nonprofit organization (501(c) organization, 501(c)(3)) with more than 700 members. It is the professional association of American book review editors and critics, known primarily for the N ...

award."National Book Critics Circle Announces Awards Finalists"
news release from the National Book Critics Circle, January 12, 2008, accessed April 17, 2008 According to Orr, poetry critic of ''The New York Times'', the poems in the collection are "heavy on isolated images, dream logic, bits of overheard conversation (typically urban conversation) and memories, with larger themes emerging through juxtapositions and repetitions. Indeed, many poems consist of nothing but juxtapositions and repetitions."

Works

* ''Sleeping and Waking'' Flood Editions, 2007 * ''Sills: Selected Poems'', Zoland, 2000 * ''At Schoodic'', Cairn Editions, 2000 * ''The Ruin'', an assortment of translations, 1986 * ''The Summer Poems'', Eventorium Press, 1967

Notes

External links

* Reviews of ''Sleeping and Waking'' *

in ''The New York Times'' *

at "Zoland Poetry" {{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, Michael American male poets 1939 births 2016 deaths