Anne-Marie Miller-Blaise

Galileo’s Spyglass

Arts & Literature

“What does one see through Galileo’s Spyglass? The collection reaches deep down inside as much as it looks out to the stars and moon—or magnifies the beauty of the tiniest grain of dust or snow. It tells us of all sorts of losses, the deaths of loved ones or of a bird on Election Day, discarded books, disappointments and broken ties, neglect, oblivion and fear. But it looks at them in the face. McDowell’s voice never gives into self-complacency or self-pity; it is fueled by a genuine generosity that makes us commune with everything that breathes and lives, however close or remote, in time or in space. ‘Gift, comfort, and remedy’ are to be found in the simple gestures and objects of everyday life, in shared cooking and handiwork that thread those who do it together, or in the wind that sways the nearby trees. McDowell’s ink runs free, working ‘by trial,’ and yet it is steadfast and true like the ‘Carpenter’s Square,’ shaping powerful and playful poems that possess the precision of artisan work. Like St. Francis, he works miracles with the humblest tools that fall between his hands—because making is love. His paintbrush too translates into monochrome watercolors—all black and white—a world vibrant with color and sounds, light and shadows, inviting us further into transformative meditation.”