We are thrilled to announce that “Beforelight“, the debut poetry collection by Matthew Gellman, has received a glowing review from Publisher’s Weekly. This remarkable collection, published by BOA Editions, captures the essence of heartbreak, transformation, and the subtle illumination of life’s poignant moments.
In “Beforelight“, Gellman masterfully weaves together the lives of family members and intimate relationships, portraying a spectrum of emotions through vivid metaphors and striking imagery. The collection features significant figures such as his mother, father, younger brother, and an imagined sister, alongside childhood friends and intimate partners. The poem “Tyler” poignantly depicts the vulnerability of tough boys revealing their softer sides, while “Mother, After the Hurricane” and “St. Timothy’s School, 1975” draw powerful connections between human experiences and the natural world.
Publisher’s Weekly highlights the book’s final poem, “Alpenglow”, where the speaker embraces loneliness as a natural part of life, learning to accept and live with it. Gellman’s poetry is celebrated for its emotional depth and beauty, as he navigates the struggles of growing up and coming to terms with a difficult past.
We invite you to explore “Beforelight“, a compelling debut that has garnered critical acclaim. Stay connected with The BOA Buzz for more reviews and highlights of BOA Editions and their exceptional authors. “Beforelight“ is available now in trade paperback for $18 (ISBN 978-1-9601-4510-9). Don’t miss this extraordinary collection that sheds light on the intricacies of the human heart.
About Gellman:
Matthew Gellman
Matthew Gellman’s first book, Beforelight, was selected by Tina Chang as the winner of the 2023 A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize and is forthcoming from BOA Editions, Ltd. A 2023–2024 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, Matthew has also received awards and honors from Brooklyn Poets, The Adroit Journal’s Djanikian Scholars Program, the Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, the New York State Summer Writer’s Institute and the Academy of American Poets. His poems have appeared in Poetry Northwest, Narrative, The Common, North American Review, Indiana Review, Waxwing, Lambda Literary’s Poetry Spotlight and other publications. He holds an MFA from Columbia University and currently lives in New York.
