Books: Harrowed Marrow

(See front cover)

Life, a hawk hanging in California's stainless sky, stares down on Life, a ground-squirrel crouching on California's sun-bleached desert hills. When the squirrel begins to tremble, when the trembling reaches the marrow of his consciousness, the hawk swoops. After stripping off the flesh, he cracks the bones, sucks the trembling conscious marrow out. Fed with consciousness, his essential bread, the hawk returns to the stainless sky, hangs waiting for the ground-squirrel's son, their sons, their sons. . . .

Reave Thurso, with his mother...