The principal narrative of The Burlesque of Graceless Acting is the account of an anonymous poet’s relationship with his mind and his physical surroundings, in a complicated modern world. The first-person narrative is supplemented by conversations with a confidant, about whether the soul is an immaterial thing or just a brain. All the while, the narrator illuminates his conundrum with the wonder of our most elusive art (poetry), as well as pictures of various 'surreal' people, places, and objects. It is haunting ...
The principal narrative of The Burlesque of Graceless Acting is the account of an anonymous poet’s relationship with his mind and his physical surroundings, in a complicated modern world. The first-person narrative is supplemented by conversations with a confidant, about whether the soul is an immaterial thing or just a brain. All the while, the narrator illuminates his conundrum with the wonder of our most elusive art (poetry), as well as pictures of various 'surreal' people, places, and objects. It is haunting in content and scope for a novella, exploring why our conscious states have their particular qualities, and suggests that they, in the end, are nothing more than brain processes.
Mark Van Aken Williams is the author of The Prophet of Sorrow, a novella (and finalist in Foreword’s 2010 Book of the Year Awards) that examines the motivations of Ramón Mercader, Trotsky’s assassin. He is the author of two books of poetry: A Season of Industry and Circus by Moonlight, which established “Williams as an impressive talent and skilled wordsmith, deserving of as wide and appreciative an audience as possible.” (Midwest Book Review)
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