'‘If there is one word that unites this collection, it is longing - which edges into poems that reconcile science and spiritual paganism, reassess the isolation of childhood and even those that celebrate the natural world. This yearning for a bone-deep knowing is perfectly suited to Livings’s measured lyricism which, while rooted in tradition, can, with equal ease, branch into a more playful mode informed, always, with the twin preoccupations of science and history.’ - Catherine Bateson
'‘The context for the human journey, Libation seems to say, is the widest one possible: that of deep space and time… On the way, the poet pays respect to the earth’s traditional cultures, rites and rituals, rediscovered and affirmed in a direct, experiential and often visceral way, and within specific languages… On a more personal level, several poems confront then stare down death and tragedy, aided by a vital wisdom: namely, the will to life found in all living things, including the many interesting creatures with which we share our lives and little planet…’ - John Jenkins' (Production summary)
'I frequently begin a launch speech by saying something about my connection with the launchee. This occasion will be no exception. However, there is a slight question-mark as to when exactly Earl Livings and I first met. We seem to agree that it must have happened at the poetry readings in the Lower Town Hall at Hawthorn, which we both attended from the late 1980s into the mid ’90s. We even did a live three-way collaboration there with the composer Roger Alsop in an event featuring some of our poetry set to music in electronic, computer-generated form! So this poet and I do go back a fair way.' (Introduction)
'I frequently begin a launch speech by saying something about my connection with the launchee. This occasion will be no exception. However, there is a slight question-mark as to when exactly Earl Livings and I first met. We seem to agree that it must have happened at the poetry readings in the Lower Town Hall at Hawthorn, which we both attended from the late 1980s into the mid ’90s. We even did a live three-way collaboration there with the composer Roger Alsop in an event featuring some of our poetry set to music in electronic, computer-generated form! So this poet and I do go back a fair way.' (Introduction)
