Self-Defence for the Brave and Happy
Poems
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
It is the Third Millennium. The 20th century is a memory. Humans no longer walk on the moon. Passenger planes no longer fly at supersonic speeds. Disinformation overwhelms the legitimate news. The signs of our civilization’s demise are all around us, but hope is not lost. In these poems, you will find a map through our dystopia and protection from all manner of monsters, both natural and human made. Only the products of our imaginations — buildings and movies, daydreams and wondrous machines — can show us how to transform our lives. Self-Defence for the Brave and Happy is a survival guide for the Dark Age that lies ahead.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Poet, editor, and visual artist Vermeersch (The Reinvention of the Human Hand) showcases intelligence and wit in an uneven sixth collection that's presented as "a survival guide for the Dark Age that lies ahead." Quirky pieces in the opening section proceed in a postapocalyptic mode, imagining a world without architecture ("No longer would we distinguish/ between exist and inhabit"), agriculture, and transportation with Vermeersch concluding that "The used future will not gleam." Indeed, the book's first half is replete with deep thinking and reflection, revealing the poet's wide-ranging intellect, eclectic mind, and penchant for sharp satire. Vermeersch possesses a knack for intriguing titles ("The Imaginary World is Preparing for a Revolution >") and memorable turns of phrase ("Two hundred words for horizon comprise an anthem"). There are also a half-dozen witty and whimsical adapted clip art illustrations by the poet interspersed throughout. But as the collection progresses, too many eloquent insights remain undeveloped, resulting in poems with surface intelligence and linguistic zing but little emotional depth, tonal range, or music. A studious avoidance of vatic or sacred voice results in overreliance on irony and wit alone. All this may be in keeping with the dystopian concept, but the way Vermeersch jettisons emotional nuance for ironic one-offs may leave some readers wanting more.
