In Bloodlines Andy Brown turns his attention to the subjects of medicine and the human body, treating them with the lyricism, imaginative range and formal agility for which his poetry has become well known. The poems in part one, Public Speaking, offer personal narratives and multiple perspectives, while the poems of part two, Bloodlines, explore the longer lines of medical history through medical paintings, sculptures and translations — from the Spanish of Borges, Machado, Nuñez, Villacañas and De Quevedo Y Villegas. There are also a number of lively versions of medical scenes from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and a number of poems that focus on disease, hygiene and sanitation.
‘Warm, confident, assertive and humane poetry that has plenty of longevity and gravitas, not to mention serious poetic impulse.’
– Stride Magazine