On receiving news of a beloved teacher’s death, a man struggles with the loss of a relationship sustained by deep admiration. Memories of their shared trajectory are separated in three orbits where the man’s past, present, and future seem to be punctuated by the same intense grief.
Narrated by the man through his grieving process, In Orbit uses a variety of innovative forms to explore loss, from traditional stanzas to prose poems to shaped poems in the form of birds, circuits, or hands. The narrative shifts in time, moving from his teen years to the present day when he himself has become a teacher. Observations from the classroom as student and teacher illuminate the deep and compassionate work that educators can do, as well as the moving nature of student-teacher relationships. This book does not ignore that teaching is hard work, and in grieving over the death of his own mentor, the narrator finds himself rudderless.
The book not only grieves the loss of the teacher, but also toxic standards for boys and men. In Orbit demands that young people to be given space to explore their feelings without judgement, to be free to love others, and to love themselves. Beyond human communities, however, sustenance is found in the moon, the stars, the sky, and nature. The discovery of a badger’s track or the treasure of a bird egg reminds us how small our trajectories are in the context of the more-than-human: an answer perhaps to the grieving process.
Ultimately, Glyn Edwards’ collection is a deeply moving account of losing a person you love, but not shying away from remembering them. In Orbit is a sustained narrative of love, loss, and longing.
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