''Human Hours'' is a 2018 collection of poetry and essays written by

Catherine Barnett Catherine Barnett is an American poet and educator. She is the author of ''Solutions for the Problem of Bodies in Space'' (Graywolf Press, 2024); ''Human Hours'' (Graywolf Press, 2018), winner of the ''Believer'' Book Award; ''The Game of Boxes'' ...

, published by

Graywolf Press Graywolf Press is an independent, non-profit publisher located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Graywolf Press publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Graywolf Press collaborates with organizations such as the College of Saint Benedict, the Mel ...

. The collection received positive reviews.

Development

Originally, Barnett intended to call the book ''The Accursed Questions''. Barnett first heard the term from poet

Ilya Kaminsky Ilya Kaminsky (born April 18, 1977) is a poet, critic, translator and professor. He is best known for his poetry collections ''Dancing in Odesa'' and ''Deaf Republic'', which have earned him several awards. In 2019, the BBC named Kaminsky among " ...

, in reference to the "huge questions of humanity" addressed by "nineteenth-century Russian novelists". Barnett drew inspiration from Ellen Bryant Voigt's collection ''Headwaters'' and Samuel Beckett's 1961 play ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...

'' during the book's composition.

Reception

A review in ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' referred to the book as "elegantly understated".

References

American poetry collections 2018 poetry books Graywolf Press books {{lit-essay-stub