Raymond Carver - Winter Insomnia

Robert Pearson McChesney

American writer and poet Raymond Carver's second published collection of poetry. The poetry is exemplary of Carver's sharp realism and constant exploration of the lives of everyday Americans. In an abstract on his short stories and poetry written by Marine Paquereau (https://doi.org/10.4000/miranda24786), she eloquently summarizes his style: "In Raymond Carver’s short fiction, the night is not simply used as a realistic backdrop. In his short stories taking place after dark, Carver distorts the clichés generally associated with the comfortable intimacy of a night spent in the conjugal bed. On the contrary, his characters suffering from insomnia are condemned to complete isolation and are painfully reminded of their own mortality. This article, therefore, examines how the motif of the sleepless night is used metaphorically to express the anxiety of otherwise rather inarticulate characters, who want their share of the American Dream but feel trapped in an existential nightmare."

This rare advance copy of Winter Insomnia in white wrappers was limited to only around six copies. The remainder of this first edition was published in bright yellow wrappers. Color lithograph illustrations throughout by Robert McChesney, including the cover.