New Days for Old is a delightful experiment in form by New Zealand poet James Brown. Each scene in this book is like a 1-minute pop song: its depths are at first easy to miss. But as the story proceeds, the grand scheme of things hoves into view: we are born, we crawl and then are carried away, and everything is a-shimmer, even the disappointments. New Days for Old is a life story in small scenes. Funny, moving, erotic, political and undeniably odd, it turns our most familiar-feeling days into something altogether new.
"'How does James Brown do it? Every page in this book is my favourite.'"
Bill Manhire
"'James Brown is I think the funniest poet in this country. He's beautifully in control of tone and emotional power, so the poems sometimes just sneak up on you.'"
Damien Wilkins
"'A quietly ambitious work that transforms the smallest moments into something luminous.'"
