Synopses & Reviews
Poetry. SAGA/CIRCUS, by the esteemed poet Lyn Hejinian, brings us two distinctly different long poems in which the tropes of narrative and lyric--their feints and demands--stake claims amongst the actual characters presented. In this playful yet penetrating pair of poems, it is the character of Lyn Hejinian's thought meeting our character of thought that is one of the most exciting and most constant dramatic events of the book--the richly sensational and subversive crescendos register as both melodic and discordant soundtrack.
Review
"A complex dance of metaphor, distraction, and unexpected union. Hejinian proves once again why she is one of the most radical and important writers we are fortunate to have." The Bloomsbury Review
Review
"Here is the marvel of putting learning into play, ventriloquizing it as a puppeteer might. The 'characters' emerge out of the text, first as names, then as activities, then like events with personal qualitieswhich then become part of the social affect, the climate of the text, the whole buoyant and mournful circus. It is all so very active. Along comes Lola!" Carla Harryman
Synopsis
Two distinct, extended poems present an ensemble of memorable characters in moving, humorous, and mesmerizing motifs. The themes of duality, gender, dichotomy, and genre are explored, blending them with exciting and lyrical language. Beautifully illustrating a diverse array of topics, this examination makes an excellent addition to any collection of poetry.
About the Author
Lyn Hejinian is a poet, essayist, and translator. Her groundbreaking book of poetry, MY LIFE, published by Sun and Moon/Green Integer, has had five reprintings from 1980-2002. Her most recent books include A BORDER COMEDY (Granary Books, 2001), SLOWLY and THE BEGINNER (both published by Tuumba Press, 2002), and THE FATALIST (Omnidawn, 2003). The University of California Press published a collection of her essays entitled The Language of Inquiry in 2000. In the spring of 2007, she was elected a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. She teaches in the English Department at the University of California, Berkeley.