Published by Anvil, September 2004.
"Ros Barber's impressive first collection takes us on a moving, and sometimes
unsettling journey through the recollections of childhood and lost innocence,
the ups and downs of family life, and the everyday sadness of human relations.
She writes well about the simple epiphanies of everyday life too, the hope
and optimism that lies on the other side of darkness. Her poems have an enviable
clarity and confidence, tough and edgy, but also full of lyrical
turns and flourishes. How Things Are on Thursday is an honest,
unflinching and hugely satisfying debut." - Neil RollinsonREVIEWS:
Click on each of the quotes below to read the full review.
"Barber’s special distinction is that she has succeeded in writing a collection which grants as much to the general reader as it does to the devotee of contemporary poetry."
- Kate Keogan in PN Review, Summer 2006
"A 'traditional' contemporary poet along the lines of Larkin"
- Sarah Law in Orbis # 133
"Her honesty and directness make for an assured first collection"
- Carole Bromley in The North #36
This book includes the Embassy Court poems, extracts of which were featured on the Meridian TV programme "The Frame", broadcast 3rd December 2004.