Language Being Time

<p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>Some poets live deep back quietly in far places still. I love the poetry of my friend John Phillips. He is a master of the compressed cut lyric. -Kent Johnson.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>John Phillips writes with a precision balance & grace that calls to mind the very best of Louis Zukofsky's short poems or Creeley's early period or Lorine Niedecker's work</span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>. </em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>At his best Phillips is absolutely dazzling. -Ron Silliman (On </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Language Is)</em></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>These poems have no extraneous cargo they are tight as a duck's butt. And smart. </span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>You could write most of these astute and pristine poems on a post-it note and carry it in your pocket for later use. -Michael Dennis </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>(</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>On </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>Shape of Faith)</em></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Perhaps Phillips' greatest accomplishment is how he cast out words that create a reality that nonetheless evoke </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>that</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> reality that existed </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>pre-words</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>. I am touching quite briefly on the many marvels within the book's pages. I recommend you look for this book and inhabit it for yourself. You'll come out of the experience more enlightened than before you began it. -Eileen Tabios (</span><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>On </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>Shape of Faith</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>)</span></p><p><br></p>