Description:
From award-winning Detroit poet M.L. Liebler comes a heartfelt, thumping, and wide-ranging memoir of a life lived with music, muses, and the magic of the written word. From Elvis and Bob Dylan, to Robbie Robertson, Hüsker Dü, and Eminem, Liebler treads his well-traveled road using musical signposts that have defined a generation of artists. Throughout, his love for family, friends, and faith shine brightest, and we bear witness to the life of a man who has spent over fifty years championing artistic expression in all its forms. Hound Dog is nothing less than the album of M.L. Liebler's life.
Brief description: M.L. Liebler is an internationally recognized and widely published poet from Detroit. A professor of English at Wayne State University, several of his books have earned the prestigious Library of Michigan Notable Book Award. He currently directs the WSU Humanities Commons and the Detroit Writers' Guild.
Review Quotes:
"Hound Dog exemplifies and amplifies how art is a form of activism. Rooted in Detroit, Liebler centers the city as a cultural cornerstone, immersing readers in the sounds and landscapes that shape his vision of the American Dream. . . . Hound Dog is not just Liebler's story; it is an American story."
-Detroit Metro Times
"Lively, yet introspective . . . fueled by some of the best rock rebels of [Liebler's] era."
-Detroit Free Press
"A rollicking musical romp through the last 70 years of American rock & roll written by a true treasure of American poetry. The range and diversity of Liebler's connections and friendships is breathtaking. And the vast array of poets and musicians he introduces readers to is an education."
-Hollywood Progressive
"Rolls to a Detroit beat."
-Macomb Daily
"M.L. Liebler is the poet laureate of America's working class."
-Michael Moore, Academy Award-winning filmmaker
"M.L. is the Godfather of Detroit poetry."
-Melba Joyce Boyd, Michigan Poet Laureate
"M. L. Liebler is an unstoppable force of nature, the likes of which neither the world of poetry nor the world of music, has ever seen."
-Jim Daniels, author of An Ignorance of Trees
"One remarkable life."
-Diane DeCillis, author of When the Heart Needs a Stunt Double
"M.L. Liebler lives his poetry the way he lives his life: fighting injustice with humor, searing stories, remarkable language, and true compassion."
-Grace Cavalieri, Maryland's Tenth Poet Laureate
"A celebration of the human spirit, the importance of community, and the unyielding pursuit of one's dreams."
-Maria Mazziotti Gillan, author of When the Stars Were Still Visible
"Not unlike the work of John Steinbeck, there's a lot of humanity in M. L.'s writing."
-Bill Fay, singer-songwriter