by Paul Monette
First published 2014
Paul Monette transforms personal and universal experiences into poetry that moves from ancient Greece to the American Midwest. His verses grapple with physical desire, memory, and romantic connection while maintaining both gravity and lightness. The collection features imagined speeches by dancer Isadora Duncan and playwright Noël Coward, bringing historical figures into intimate conversation with contemporary themes. Monette writes about bodies under threat and spirits that persist, capturing both vulnerability and resilience. The poems travel across geography and time, linking classical monuments to ordinary American places. Throughout, Monette balances weighty subjects with wit and tenderness. David Schorr's original artwork accompanies the text, creating a visual dialogue with the written word. This collection reveals an author who finds humor within darkness and refuses to let seriousness eclipse joy.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, american, poetry, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: found-family, intimate-conversation-with-historical-figures
Setting: American Midwest, Ancient Greece
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
143 pages · Kindle Edition · Open Road Media