Words of Mercury

<p>In his fourth collection from Shearsman Books Alasdair Paterson ranges as widely as ever - from the bewilderments of a Scottish childhood to the mixed messages of later life from gnarly nature notes to an A-Z of lines salvaged from lost Russian novels. The spirit of Mercury - bringer of messages patron of tricksters keeper and crosser of boundaries - hovers invisibly and a tad unreliably overhead.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Critical responses - </p><p><br></p><p>You can take the boy out of Leith but seemingly you can't stop him writing poems about it. Take a telling pal! -Leith Literary Gazette</p><p><br></p><p>In this latest brazen provocation the great Russian literary tradition is alphabetically disrespected. Needless to say there will be consequences... </p><p>-Kamchatka Hints and Tips</p><p><br></p><p>Here's a city boy's take on the glories of the natural world. On  the evidence of this we have to ask: Mr Paterson did you ever stand in a field of cows with the wind in your face? -Forfar Farmer</p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p>