Author(s): Geoff Cochrane

NZ Poetry

Hypnic jerks occur on the point of sleep when our brains, alarmed by the sensation of falling, send out our limbs to catch us. The poems in Hypnic JerksâÂÂespecially the two highly innovative stories in verse, âÂÂA Green Jesusâ and âÂÂLittle Bits of HarryâÂÂâÂÂseem to come from this zone, in which the settled order of apparent autobiography is disrupted or illuminated by fragments of surreal imagery or language play. Praise for Vanilla Wine One exits so many slim volumes with slim pickings. Then there are those books of poetry which seem fuller than fiction. Geoff CochraneâÂÂs Vanilla Wine is a whole world, rendered in lines at once compressed and open, mysterious and approachable. These are poems of great formal poise and terrific candour.âÂÂDamien Wilkins This guy doesn't need to dip into rhyme to cook up poetry; his sentences are 11 herbs and spices. They make me gush: so evocative, such craftily crafted imagery, such a gift for a succinct turn.â Nick Ascroft, New Zealand Books First published 2005. Geoff Cochrane is the author of several highly regarded collections of poetry, including the acclaimed Vanilla Wine, the novels Tin Nimbus and Blood, and several collections of short stories. He lives in Wellington.