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As opposed to a straight dose of poetry, "Killing George Washington" is refreshingly broken up into five sections, each of which is preceded by a historical account of the real person who is featured in the following poems. The author chose five socially-maligned people from the Pacific Northwest's past and used their true stories as inspiration for her poems. The work is surprisingly thoughtful and moving, with a dark, anchoring undertone throughout (we are, after all, reading about such characters as an avid killer of Native Americans, Oregon's first murderess, and a slave on Lewis and Clark's famous expedition). Overall, this book is a beautifully written and historically fascinating read.
As opposed to a straight dose of poetry, "Killing George Washington" is refreshingly broken up into five sections, each of which is preceded by a historical account of the real person who is featured in the following poems. The author chose five socially-maligned people from the Pacific Northwest's past and used their true stories as inspiration for her poems. The work is surprisingly thoughtful and moving, with a dark, anchoring undertone throughout (we are, after all, reading about such characters as an avid killer of Native Americans, Oregon's first murderess, and a slave on Lewis and Clark's famous expedition). Overall, this book is a beautifully written and historically fascinating read.
The concept for this book of poetry is clever: taking a trip through Oregon, to many places that perhaps wouldn’t ordinarily be on a tourist’s list of hot spots (think Philomath instead of the Gorge). The result is rather gritty, darkly humorous snapshots of the author’s experiences within Oregon. As a native Oregonian and a small-town girl, I understood Sid Miller’s ambiguous relationship with the state; I think anyone who has spent time in the Pacific Northwest and who likes poetry would appreciate this read.
A strange, humorous, and at-times maddening work of fiction, “42” is a unique read. The story of George and his descent into delusion as he pursues the wife and daughter who left him is gripping and surreal. I heard the author wrote the original manuscript during National Novel Writing Month, which is an impressive feat in itself. It adds to the reading of the book: as events get more frantic and chaotic for George and the tension builds, you can almost picture the author pounding furiously away at his keyboard as the month runs out. The storyline and the circumstances of writing it mirror each other. The design of the book itself also adds to the sense of paranoia that permeates it. What do the small squares in the margins mean, with their varying amount and coloring? Are they clues to upcoming events in the story, a code that we should be cracking while George pursues his own code involving the number 42? I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a dark and twisted tale.
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CAH has commented on (4) products.
Killing George Washington: The American West in Five Voices by Anne Jennings Paris
CAH, January 26, 2010
As opposed to a straight dose of poetry, "Killing George Washington" is refreshingly broken up into five sections, each of which is preceded by a historical account of the real person who is featured in the following poems. The author chose five socially-maligned people from the Pacific Northwest's past and used their true stories as inspiration for her poems. The work is surprisingly thoughtful and moving, with a dark, anchoring undertone throughout (we are, after all, reading about such characters as an avid killer of Native Americans, Oregon's first murderess, and a slave on Lewis and Clark's famous expedition). Overall, this book is a beautifully written and historically fascinating read.Killing George Washington: The American West in Five Voices by Anne Jennings Paris
CAH, January 26, 2010
As opposed to a straight dose of poetry, "Killing George Washington" is refreshingly broken up into five sections, each of which is preceded by a historical account of the real person who is featured in the following poems. The author chose five socially-maligned people from the Pacific Northwest's past and used their true stories as inspiration for her poems. The work is surprisingly thoughtful and moving, with a dark, anchoring undertone throughout (we are, after all, reading about such characters as an avid killer of Native Americans, Oregon's first murderess, and a slave on Lewis and Clark's famous expedition). Overall, this book is a beautifully written and historically fascinating read.Dot-to-Dot, Oregon by Sid Miller
CAH, January 26, 2010
The concept for this book of poetry is clever: taking a trip through Oregon, to many places that perhaps wouldn’t ordinarily be on a tourist’s list of hot spots (think Philomath instead of the Gorge). The result is rather gritty, darkly humorous snapshots of the author’s experiences within Oregon. As a native Oregonian and a small-town girl, I understood Sid Miller’s ambiguous relationship with the state; I think anyone who has spent time in the Pacific Northwest and who likes poetry would appreciate this read.42 by M. Thomas Cooper
CAH, January 26, 2010
A strange, humorous, and at-times maddening work of fiction, “42” is a unique read. The story of George and his descent into delusion as he pursues the wife and daughter who left him is gripping and surreal. I heard the author wrote the original manuscript during National Novel Writing Month, which is an impressive feat in itself. It adds to the reading of the book: as events get more frantic and chaotic for George and the tension builds, you can almost picture the author pounding furiously away at his keyboard as the month runs out. The storyline and the circumstances of writing it mirror each other. The design of the book itself also adds to the sense of paranoia that permeates it. What do the small squares in the margins mean, with their varying amount and coloring? Are they clues to upcoming events in the story, a code that we should be cracking while George pursues his own code involving the number 42? I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a dark and twisted tale.