John Gatta

The Night When God Spoke French

Arts & Literature

“I have yet to encounter another volume of contemporary verse that manages so successfully and unapologetically as this one to evoke eternal things, of supreme value, while fully absorbing the claims of temporal human experience. The luminous—and numinous—character of this book, evident from its opening lyrical recollection of ‘That Night,’ is richly sustained throughout. And among the sundry gems displayed here, the closing couplet of Oliver’s reflection on ‘Brother Roger of Taizé at Ninety’ qualifies as unforgettable, simply dazzling.”