"In this original and wonderfully energetic book, Bradley Paul moves from humor to mockery to play to anger to grief, and sometimes all at once. This poetry shifts, it slams, it hammers, it thinks; it corrodes our sorrow and foolishness; it captures our national haplessness, sad and firing and still."--Jean Valentine
"This is a book of 'Instructions,' a 'How To' book, a 'Guide' to the anarchic carnival of everyday life. It is a wicked book smelling of 'scrapple' and the 'puke of poetry.' And yet rising out of the bile is something else--call it a love for words and poetry--that can gleefully announce that 'a monkey could write this poem.' Read this book and you will lean 'how to stop your doppelganger from plagiarizing you,' which is exactly what you need to know to live in the twenty-first century." --John Yau
Bradley Paul's work has appeared in American Poetry Review, Pleiades, Smartish Pace, Boston Review, and other journals. His first book of poetry, The Obvious, was selected by Brenda Hillman for the 2004 New Issues Poetry Prize. A native of Baltimore, he now lives in Los Angeles.
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Front Matter Front Matter (pp. [i]-[vi])https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.1 -
Table of Contents Table of Contents (pp. [vii]-[xii])https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.2 -
Anybody Can Write a Poem Anybody Can Write a Poem (pp. 1-2)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.3 -
I ♥ Poetry I ♥ Poetry (pp. 3-4)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.4 -
Panic: A Retrospective Panic: A Retrospective (pp. 5-5)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.5 -
Literalness Literalness (pp. 6-7)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.6 -
Comment on the Sale of My Grandmother’s House Comment on the Sale of My Grandmother’s House (pp. 8-8)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.7 -
Trade Trade (pp. 9-9)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.8 -
Comment on the Humidity of the Brain Comment on the Humidity of the Brain (pp. 10-12)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.9 -
Obvious one day that the beige carpet was a different beige Obvious one day that the beige carpet was a different beige (pp. 13-13)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.10 -
Choreography of Kaspar Meglinger Choreography of Kaspar Meglinger (pp. 14-14)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.11 -
The Golem on His Way to Kill the King The Golem on His Way to Kill the King (pp. 15-15)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.12 -
Law, Order Law, Order (pp. 16-16)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.13 -
How to Stop Your Doppelgänger from Plagiarizing You How to Stop Your Doppelgänger from Plagiarizing You (pp. 17-18)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.14 -
How to Deal with the Most Persistent Zombie How to Deal with the Most Persistent Zombie (pp. 19-20)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.15 -
Two Front Teeth Two Front Teeth (pp. 21-21)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.16 Eric comes down the Christmas steps to see what’s all the rumpus. The light is blue because blue gels are over all the lights. He stops on the landing, scans; an Evil Elf jumps on him, fangs in Eric’s latex jugular; then corn syrup blood over all the walls. Take two, three, thirteen. The Evil Elf jumps again and again and the lights are hot despite their blue. Next day: the shoot is done, and Gretchen paints over the blood. Doesn’t work. A second coat, and a third; she paints the wall red, even. But the blood shows still. Profondo...
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Comment on Source Material Comment on Source Material (pp. 22-24)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.17 -
Narcissus of the Damned Narcissus of the Damned (pp. 25-27)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.18 -
Instructions on Damaging the Monster’s Cloak of Invisibility Instructions on Damaging the Monster’s Cloak of Invisibility (pp. 28-28)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.19 -
How to Bathe How to Bathe (pp. 29-29)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.20 -
It’s Weird that So Many Animals Including Us Have Lungs It’s Weird that So Many Animals Including Us Have Lungs (pp. 30-30)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.21 -
El Siete Mares El Siete Mares (pp. 31-31)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.22 -
The Animals All Are Gathering The Animals All Are Gathering (pp. 32-33)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.23 -
You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry. (pp. 34-34)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.24 -
Instructions on Administering Nitrous Oxide Instructions on Administering Nitrous Oxide (pp. 35-36)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.25 -
Comment on the Coloration of the Floor Comment on the Coloration of the Floor (pp. 37-37)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.26 -
A Monkey Could Write this Poem A Monkey Could Write this Poem (pp. 38-38)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.27 -
On the Sleeve On the Sleeve (pp. 39-40)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.28 -
Count to Ten Before Killing My Lassitude Count to Ten Before Killing My Lassitude (pp. 41-42)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.29 -
Sophistry for Chattel Sophistry for Chattel (pp. 43-44)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.30 -
”But Nature is so uncomfortable. Grass is hard and lumpy and damp, and full of dreadful black insects.” ”But Nature is so uncomfortable. Grass is hard and lumpy and damp, and full of dreadful black insects.” (pp. 45-45)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.31 -
Instructions on Dreaming of Walking Instructions on Dreaming of Walking (pp. 46-49)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.32 -
The Bible Is God’s Personal Letter to You The Bible Is God’s Personal Letter to You (pp. 50-51)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.33 -
In.Case.Of.Trapped.Animal.Call.Lucy. In.Case.Of.Trapped.Animal.Call.Lucy. (pp. 52-52)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.34 -
Red Dwarves Red Dwarves (pp. 53-53)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.35 -
My Quietness Has a Man in It My Quietness Has a Man in It (pp. 54-54)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.36 -
Instructions on Running Over a Cat Instructions on Running Over a Cat (pp. 55-57)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.37 -
Cocky Poem Cocky Poem (pp. 58-58)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.38 -
Healing Mass Healing Mass (pp. 59-59)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.39 -
Commentary on Parole Commentary on Parole (pp. 60-60)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.40 -
How to Approach the Girl with Candies on a Tray How to Approach the Girl with Candies on a Tray (pp. 61-61)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.41 -
Appreciation: A Lament Appreciation: A Lament (pp. 62-62)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.42 -
All Up in the Chicken Boxes All Up in the Chicken Boxes (pp. 63-63)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.43 -
Comment on My Failed Graphic Novel Comment on My Failed Graphic Novel (pp. 64-64)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.44 -
Immediately upon Pruning a Favorite Tree Immediately upon Pruning a Favorite Tree (pp. 65-65)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.45 -
Non-Parable of the Boulder Non-Parable of the Boulder (pp. 66-68)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.46 -
Death Threat Death Threat (pp. 69-70)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.47 -
Commentary on Visiting Your Grandfather’s Grave Commentary on Visiting Your Grandfather’s Grave (pp. 71-71)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.48 -
Come on—roses? Come on—roses? (pp. 72-76)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.49 -
Short Ends Short Ends (pp. 77-78)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.50 -
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (pp. 79-80)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.51 -
Back Matter Back Matter (pp. 81-81)https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh86p.52