Overview

A deeply emotional collection of poems that highlights the filly behind the legend of The Licorice Daughter, Ruffian. With tender care, Lifshin takes her readers through the too-short life of a racing wonder. Beginning before Ruffian’s birth, this collection outlines the anticipation of Ruffian’s greatness. With a grand focus on the days before her fame, from the quiet beauty of the April night of her birth to the brutal separation of the foals from their mares six months after, Lifshin highlights the potential that could be seen in Ruffian’s early days. From the relationships the filly formed with her trainer—Frank Whitely, to her grooms, jockeys, owners, and her devoted fans, this collection brings to life the early days of a racing legend. With excruciating care the last moments of Ruffian’s short life are laid bare before the reader, as the myth is born in the hours before her death.

Full Product Details

Author:   Lyn Lifshin
Publisher:   Texas Review Press
Imprint:   Texas Review Press
Edition:   2nd Revised edition
Weight:   0.151kg
ISBN:  

9781680032888

ISBN 10:   1680032887
Pages:   128
Publication Date:   31 August 2022
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Black Horses in Dreams (Before Ruffian) When I think of Horses Kept in the Dark of Mines Horses in the Snow The Blue Horse Puzzle Morgan Horse Farm Sleeping with Horses The Horse I never Had The Horse Lullabies, the Insomnia The Young Girl Dreams of Escape Small and New in the Lamp of Her Mother’s Eye (Ruffian’s Birth) With Blue Green Grass Holding Kentucky Night Water Right After Birth April, 1972 That First Summer The Last Days in the Pasture, After the Hottest Days of Summer Just Before Weaking Day Taken, Picked Like Unripe Fruit (Weaning Ruffian) Early, with Only Lanterns of Light Weaning Day—1 With Starlight Still on the Pond Like Silver Weaning Day—2 Weaning Day—3 In Their New Stalls Now the Pastures Are Empty Ruffian’s Last Weanling Month Ruffian, If I Had Seen You at the Fence As with Dancers the More Confident Fillies Were in Front To Start, They Like Ballet Warm-up at the Barre By the Time the Horses File Around the Paddock For Ruffian, a Squeal, a Few Bucks After Days of Figure Eights in the Stall Her Beautiful Thin Strong Legs Some Nights I think of Her Sky Colorless Yearlings in the Pasture She Was Good To Be Around (Ruffian as a Two-Year-Old) It Was Her Stride, Long, Almost Dream Like, Floating Before She Had Her Name When I Look at Ryder’s Painting, The Race Track Ruffian’s Maiden Race Just Before Ruffian’s Maiden Race Ruffian, Her First Race That First Race in Black and White She Was Transformed Sometimes It Seemed She Wasn’t Real Horse Tattoo One Blacksmith Said He Could Pick Up an Anvil with One Hand You Can’t Think Ahead Saratoga, Ruffian’s Cradle Other Horses Turned to Jelly When She Looked Them in the Eye (Ruffian as a Three-Year-Old)  Recovery, After Ruffian’s Hairline Fracture  In Camden, Ruffian Tossing  By March Ruffian  Ruffian  Spring of Pods Near  I Never Like To Stay Too Far Away from Ruffian—1  I Never Like To Stay Too Far Away from Ruffian—2  After Angel Cordero Tried to Tire Out Ruffian, Exhaust Her Early  I Never Like To Stay Too Far Away from Ruffian—3  Ruffian in the Winner’s Circle  What’s Next  When There Was Nothing Left for Her To Prove  In the Blue Pewter Air  She Wanted To Run, a Fast Dance  That Last Spring Ruffian Was Ghostly  She Was the Wonder, The Big Filly  An Onyx Bundle of Energy  It Always Ends the Same Way  On the Day of Ruffian’s Match Race Darkness Croons to Her Daughter (Ruffian’s Death)  On the Day of Her Last Race  On That Day  July 6, 1975, That Day, Only Ruffian  When the Ambulance Came  After She Pulled Up, After the Blood Was Drying on July  After the Accident  She Was Jumping Around  Her Jockey Moved in a Blur

Reviews

Eros and Equus perfectly combine in these sleek, sensual poems. From brilliant filly to tragic fatality, Lifshin keeps pace with this dark darling of the track, everybody's favorite Ruffian. --Laura Chester

Author Information

Patterson Prize winner LYN LIFSHIN is the author of over 140 books, including the equine books, The Licorice Daughter: My Year with Ruffian, Secretariat: The Red Freak, The Miracle, and Barbaro: Beyond Brokenness.

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