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where nothing is begun
where there is no pain
and anything might still happen
inside the un-rung bell"
From the creation of the atomic bombs to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, effectively putting an end to World War II, the details have been well documented in the history books. No text, however, has captured the magnitude of this creation-to-execution process in the way that Blair’s compilation has, with its deeply crafted insight combined with an unwavering command of narrative poetry. At every turn, Blair’s ability to connect the different segments of the atomic bomb creation to elements of mythology and the Bible is enthralling. Even within his poetry, he masterfully juxtaposes contradictory ideas in an eerily seamless manner. For example, using the phrase “the flowers of evil return to bloom” in reference to Oppenheimer is intriguing because one would almost exclusively associate blooming and flowers with hope, not evil. Nevertheless, it fits perfectly within the context of Blair’s work.
Where traditional prose and expository writing add constraints and rules, poetry lifts the veil and allows the creator to explore to his heart’s content. Undoubtedly, Blair’s examination of the Manhattan Project is the epitome of this representation. Throwing caution to the wind, he uses the vignette of a screenplay to directly transport readers into this research study that would lead to the first nuclear weapon. From scrapping the framework of the prototype of the initial nuclear weapon, the Thin Man, to a surreal “Fading Out,” where the fates are sealed, the image of the bridal bouquet on top of the car serves as major dramatic irony.
Blair’s narrative poems more than do justice to the events while illuminating them further for his readership. In one instance, Blair’s depiction of a letter Einstein sent to FDR in 1939 warning the US that Germany may have discovered a pathway to creating a nuclear weapon now largely acts as a catalyst to the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Perhaps with even more clarity than history books, Blair strips away all the excess and sheds light on the key points during the birth of the atomic bomb: The Trinity Project, Ebb Cade’s doomed existence, and bringing “Gadget” to fruition from “Ground Zero.”
The ease with which Blair employs his repertoire of figurative language, including, but not limited to, similes, metaphors, enjambments, and caesuras, is surreal. One specific example that captures the somber essence of what is to come with the atomic bomb is outside the Los Alamos Ranch School in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where the school kids see the “smoke rising like an offering” from the research facilities and the brush from the canyon beginning to “sing.” In conjunction with unmatched poetic prowess are the fitting references that run the gamut of Joseph Campbell’s "Hero’s Journey" and Greek hero Odysseus to Romeo and Juliet and a rarely discussed but extremely potent story of Hindu mythology in how Ganesha came to bear the head of an elephant. Ultimately, the work is exemplary in every way, peeling back a time of world history that many still deem highly controversial and imbuing it with vibrant imagery, creating a tapestry that highlights the interwoven nature of ambition and calamity.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review