The Irrationalist is the acclaimed follow-up to the award-winning poetry collection, Past Imperfect, from one of Canada's best poets. At once whimsical and heartbreaking, these eccentric lyrics investigate the shifting grounds of knowledge while refusing to take any authority -- be it Epictetus, Therese de Lisieux, Nicolaus Copernicus, Ma Yuan, or the fugitive spectre of self, to name only a few of the volume's dramatis personae -- too seriously. Here one inhabits a world on the eve of extinction, in which "astronomers predict a 'Big Rip' in the cosmos resulting in a cold, dark, never-ending end," and yet the darkness is continually illuminated by a pyrotechnics of curiosity, candor, and wit.
The Irrationalist is the acclaimed follow-up to the award-winning poetry collection, Past Imperfect, from one of Canada's best poets. At once whimsical and heartbreaking, these eccentric lyrics investigate the shifting grounds of knowledge while refusing to take any authority -- be it Epictetus, Therese de Lisieux, Nicolaus Copernicus, Ma Yuan, or the fugitive spectre of self, to name only a few of the volume's dramatis personae -- too seriously. Here one inhabits a world on the eve of extinction, in which "astronomers predict a 'Big Rip' in the cosmos resulting in a cold, dark, never-ending end," and yet the darkness is continually illuminated by a pyrotechnics of curiosity, candor, and wit.
| Published By | House of Anansi Press Inc — Apr 3, 2010 |
| Specifications | 104 pages | 5.5 in x 8.5 in |
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Excerpt |
| Written By | Suzanne Buffam’s first collection of poetry, Past Imperfect, won the Gerald Lampert Award. Her second collection of poetry, The Irrationalist, was named a finalist for the 2011 Griffin Poetry Prize. Her work has been translated into French, German, Spanish, and Slovenian. She teaches Creative Writing at the University of Chicago. |
| Written By |
| Suzanne Buffam’s first collection of poetry, Past Imperfect, won the Gerald Lampert Award. Her second collection of poetry, The Irrationalist, was named a finalist for the 2011 Griffin Poetry Prize. Her work has been translated into French, German, Spanish, and Slovenian. She teaches Creative Writing at the University of Chicago. |
Short-listed, Griffin Poetry Prize, 2011
“...consistently sharp and engaging...she succeeds admirably.” —Quill & Quire
“Sarcastic and hopeful, cerebral and evocative...” —Winnipeg Free Press
“... Buffam's faultless forms ... emerge from a single supple and lively intelligence.” —Matrix Magazine
“Buffam impresses with her wisdom, grace, and generosity: This is warm, engaging poetry and it deserves the broadest possible audience.” —Huffington Post