Description: This collection contains new poetry alongside some of David Kirby's most beloved poems. Most of the poems are long narratives written in prose form, and all of the poems are marked by fixed-length stanzas and sawtooth margins. Kirby's writing is often touching and always laugh-out-loud funny. Inspiration for these poems came from the literary giants William Shakespeare, Dante Alighieri, and Walt Whitman. In fact, Kirby has chosen to organize these poems into three sections echoing Dante's organization of The Divine Comedy. The writing is largely autobiographical and deals with the restlessness of youth, the mixed blessings of imposed self-exile, and the settled pleasure of home.
Brief description: David Kirby teaches at Florida State University, where he is the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of English. His many books include Little Richard: The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll, described by the Times Literary Supplement as "a hymn of praise to the emancipatory power of nonsense." In 2016, Kirby received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Florida Humanities, which called him "a literary treasure of our state."