The two books I'm commenting on today are published by divisions of the same publishing house (Here Below) and share a feeling of editorialization in the exposition of their respective diverse subject matter. The publisher's website states:
"Our handsome volumes reward close reading and provide a vital respite from digital algorithms designed to short-circuit critical and creative thought."
I believe they accomplished that goal in these books.
A Place of Encounter by Thomas Gardner challenges readers to think deeply about poetry. The back cover reads "What if reading poetry could change you -- not just what you think, but how you move through the world?" The author is Alumni Distinguished Professor of English Emeritus at Virginia Tech and the text of the book is taken from his lectures and observations of students' responses to the material he presented. The text is presented in a series of very short chapters but I found that it took a lot longer to read and think about each one than I expected.
I had hoped to learn ways to engage more deeply with poetry that I read. Unfortunately, the vignettes the author shared read more like stories for me, instead of a road map or suggestions for personal exploration. Perhaps, being a casual poetry reader, I'm not the ideal or intended audience. I'm interested to know if poetry wonks find the book more engaging. It was slow, close reading for me and I'm not sure I gleaned the emotional fire the author provoked the reader to find. I imagine an IRL classroom experience with Mr. Gardner's Socratic style would pull the emotions forward and fill in the blanks.
The Internet Will Die, And So Will You by John West is subtitled "On Learning to Live in Our Digital Age." Much of what Mr. West discusses isn't novel, just ignored by day to day internet users. It made me stop and think about my own posts, and their longevity. The fact is that internet users don't control the data we share with the world. We pay for some access, website hosting etc. but the companies that provide these spaces in the ether may themselves implode, taking all of our words with them. Conversely, we may want to delete ideas we've shared but find that only the front-facing existence of the idea disappears. Things we thought we removed still exist on distant servers and in historical archives that we don't control.
I enjoyed this book. I wonder what parts of my blog, if any, will outlive me! Do I want them to? Permanence and impermanence is out of a user's control. The further idea that AI generated text may someday replace human generated posts should also make everyone pause. Admittedly, the internet isn't peer-reviewed for accuracy. Human generated materials have flaws. But there's something about the authoritative way AI presents itself that turns me off. Yet, with our limited human lifespans, do we want to spend time shouting into the internet void, trying to drown out AI? It's a good question.
Both books made me think more about their topics after I had finished and closed the covers.
If you read either of these books, let me know what you think!
** My reviews are based on Advance Reading Copies provided by the publisher pursuant to Publisher's Weekly's 2026 Grab-a-Galley. A review was not required. No other compensation was received.
