New Days for Old

is a delightful experiment in form by New Zealand poet James Brown.

Each scene in this book is like a 1-minute pop song: its depths are at first easy to miss. But as the story proceeds, the grand scheme of things hoves into view: we are born, we crawl and then are carried away, and everything is a-shimmer, even the disappointments.

is a life story in small scenes. Funny, moving, erotic, political and undeniably odd, it turns our most familiar-feeling days into something altogether new.

‘How does James Brown do it? Every page in this book is my favourite.’ —Bill Manhire

‘James Brown is I think the funniest poet in this country. He’s beautifully in control of tone and emotional power, so the poems sometimes just sneak up on you.’ —Damien Wilkins, RNZ