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Where Water Comes Together with Other Water: Poems

raymond carver

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Winner of Poetry Magazine’s Levinson Prize • An illuminating collection of poems from the middle of Carver's career that “function as distilled, heightened versions of his stories, offering us fugitive glimpses of ordinary lives on the edge” ( The New York Times ).

"The stories poems tell are so wonderfully self-contained, so self-evident, so gracefully metaphorical." — The Village Voice

"There is a severity of language, an understatement of emotion, that endows the poems of his first major collection with the feel of extraordinary experience. To read them is to have the sense this man has lived more than most of us. We trust him because of the plainly conversational diction and the lapel-grabbing rhythms.... They are very moving, very memorable." —Poetry

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 12,1986

This edition

Format
144 pages, Paperback
Published
March 12, 1986 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
ISBN
9780394743271
ASIN
039474327X
Language
English

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About the author

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raymond carver

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Carver was born into a poverty-stricken family at the tail-end of the Depression. He married at 19, started a series of menial jobs and his own career of 'full-time drinking as a serious pursuit', a career that would eventually kill him. Constantly struggling to support his wife and family, Carver enrolled in a writing programme under author John Gardner in 1958. He saw this opportunity as a turning point.

Rejecting the more experimental fiction of the 60s and 70s, he pioneered a precisionist realism reinventing the American short story during the eighties, heading the line of so-called 'dirty realists' or 'K-mart realists'. Set in trailer parks and shopping malls, they are stories of banal lives that turn on a seemingly insignificant detail. Carver writes with meticulous economy, suddenly bringing a life into focus in a similar way to the paintings of Edward Hopper. As well as being a master of the short story, he was an accomplished poet publishing several highly acclaimed volumes.

After the 'line of demarcation' in Carver's life - 2 June 1977, the day he stopped drinking - his stories become increasingly more redemptive and expansive. Alcohol had eventually shattered his health, his work and his family - his first marriage effectively ending in 1978. He finally married his long-term parter Tess Gallagher (they met ten years earlier at a writers' conference in Dallas) in Reno, Nevada, less than two months before he eventually lost his fight with cancer.

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Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 72 votes)
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72 reviews All reviews
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yngsl23
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Discomfort

Raymond Carver once said that "throw up is addictive." This statement might seem rather unusual at first glance. But upon closer examination, it could imply a deeper meaning. Maybe it's not about the literal act of vomiting being addictive, but rather the idea that certain uncomfortable or difficult experiences can have a strange allure. We often find ourselves drawn to things that make us feel uneasy or challenged. It's as if there is a part of us that craves the intensity and the potential for growth that comes with discomfort. Just like an addiction, it can be hard to resist. We might keep coming back to those situations, even though they make us feel queasy or unsettled. In a way, Carver's words make us think about the complex relationship we have with discomfort and how it can both repel and attract us at the same time.

Perhaps we should embrace this aspect of ourselves and use it as an opportunity for self-discovery and transformation.
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princessnight
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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UGH. Raymond Carver.

Where do I even begin to express my thoughts about him? The way his works so masterfully capture the essence of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, along with their rich historical culture, is truly remarkable.

He gives us these little glimpses into the lives of all the people he knows, those he doesn't know, and even those he wishes he didn't have to know.

And he's constantly pushing himself to the edges of his limits, bravely reporting what he sees, notes, or disdains.

I absolutely loved this aspect of his writing. It's like a window into a world that I might never have otherwise known.

It has also inspired me in ways I never thought possible.

His words have a power that reaches deep within and makes me want to explore my own creativity and push my own boundaries.

I can't wait to see where this inspiration takes me.
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Sally3390
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Carver's poetry is strikingly similar to his prose. It is spare yet highly evocative, featuring that Hemingway-esque rhythm of short declarative sentences. The punctuation often appears at the end of lines, leading me to question if it was truly poetry or simply lists masquerading as poetry in the guise of short-shorts. (I lean more towards the latter view.) It's not the kind of poetry I would typically seek out. However, Carver has a unique allure for me that Hemingway lacks, and the stories he weaves in his poems are haunting and unforgettable.

Take, for example, "Wenas Ridge." Here, the narrator's friend is narrowly missed by a rattlesnake, prompting the narrator to confess, "This was the moment my life had prepared me for. And I wasn't ready. Jesus, please help me out of this, I prayed. I'll believe in you again and honor you always. But Jesus was crowded out of my head by the vision of that rearing snake. That singing. Keep believing in me, snake said, for I will return. I made an obscure, criminal pact that day. Praying to Jesus in one breath. To snake in the other. Snake finally more real to me."

Or consider "Happiness in Cornwall." In this poem, a family hires a maid for their widower father, and at the end, he is found "listening to her read poetry in the evenings in front of the fire. Tennyson, Browning, Shakespeare, Drinkwater. Men whose names take up space on the page."

There are dozens upon dozens of such little stories, each with Carver's wry commentary and philosophical musings, as seen in "The Juggler at Heaven's Gate": "What's his story? That's the story I want to know. Anybody can wear a gun and swagger around. Or fall in love with somebody who loves somebody else. But to juggle for God's sake! To give your life to that. To go with that. Juggling."

And then there's "Aspens," a poem that I will write down and stick to my wall. It's a lovely, winding tale of loneliness that ebbs and flows, taking on cosmic significance only to reduce back to its own essence. God bless Carver for proving that the story can be a poem and the poem can be a story, showing that poetry indeed has room for prosaic narrative.

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Fr3EaK
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I truly loved that experience.

Throughout the entire duration, I had a lump firmly lodged in my throat.

It was a moment that was both beautiful and heartbreaking simultaneously.

The beauty of it all was in the details, the way it unfolded, and the emotions it evoked.

However, there was an underlying sadness that couldn't be ignored.

It was as if a part of my heart was being torn apart while another part was being filled with a sense of wonder and awe.

The combination of these two feelings created a unique and unforgettable experience that I will cherish forever.

Even now, when I think back on it, that lump in my throat returns, and I am once again reminded of the beauty and heartbreak that I witnessed.

It was a moment that changed me, and I will always be grateful for having had the opportunity to experience it.
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MondoX
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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At least one poem in this collection stands out remarkably.

I just can't rid the image from my mind, that of a woman cutting a man's hair while the snow is gently falling outside.

Visualize it clearly, on a rather bleak winter day in the Midwest, within a bedroom of a gable-front house.

The hair and the snow are falling simultaneously, as if it were a scene written by Haikun or Basho.

Otherwise, it seems that the book has not aged too well.

It lacks the luster and charm that it might have had when it was first published.

Perhaps the passage of time has revealed its flaws and shortcomings.

Nevertheless, that one outstanding poem still manages to capture the essence and beauty of a moment, making the entire collection somewhat worthwhile.

It serves as a reminder that even in a book that may not be perfect, there can still be hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
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MeltyBlood_Len
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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2.5 stars. The poems didn't resonate with me that strongly. Here are some excerpts from ‘In Switzerland’:


The grass has been cut. I sit on it for a while and smoke. Just feels good to be there, close to the grave. I didn't have to say anything this time.


All of us, all of us, all of us are trying to save our immortal souls. Some ways seemingly more roundabout and mysterious than others. We're having a good time here. But hope all will be revealed soon.


These lines paint a somewhat melancholy yet contemplative picture. The act of sitting on the cut grass near the grave gives a sense of calm and perhaps a touch of morbidity. The mention of trying to save our souls in various ways adds a layer of mystery and the longing for some sort of revelation. Overall, while the poems didn't deeply resonate with me, they do offer some interesting thoughts and images to ponder.

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Stallk
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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If it really has to be so miserable, then preferably Bukowski.

Bukowski is a renowned American writer known for his raw and unfiltered style. His works often explore the darker aspects of life, including poverty, alcoholism, and failed relationships.

Reading Bukowski can be a cathartic experience for those who are going through difficult times. His words have the power to make us feel less alone in our misery and to remind us that there is beauty and meaning to be found even in the most desolate of circumstances.

Whether it's his poetry or his novels, Bukowski's writing is always honest and unapologetic. He doesn't sugarcoat the truth or try to make things seem better than they are. Instead, he forces us to confront the harsh realities of life and to find the strength within ourselves to keep going.

So if you're feeling down and out, give Bukowski a try. You might just find that his words speak to your soul and help you to see the world in a whole new light.
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jainenn
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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While this work may not be on par with his later masterpieces, it is still a lovely piece of reading. The poems within it offer a unique glimpse into the author's mind and experiences. Personally, I have a particular preference for the poems that delve into his struggles. These poems seem to resonate with me on a deeper level, perhaps because they capture the essence of the human condition in a more raw and relatable way. On the other hand, the poems that focus on his love of nature, while beautiful, don't quite have the same impact on me. However, this doesn't mean that I don't appreciate them. In fact, I have read this collection multiple times, each time finding something new and interesting to discover. Whether it's a new perspective on a familiar poem or a hidden gem that I overlooked before, there is always something to keep me engaged.

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