Get Up, Please: Poems

by David Kirby

Overview

In comical and complex poems, David Kirby examines our extraordinarily human condition through the lens of our ordinary daily lives. These keenly observant poems range from the streets of India, Russia, Turkey, and Port Arthur, Texas, to the imaginations of fellow poets Keats and Rilke, and to ruminations on the mundane side of life via the imperfect sandwich.

Whether remembering girls' singing groups of the 1950s or recounting a child asking his priest if his dog would go to heaven, Kirby has the ability to make us laugh, but he can also bring us to tears through our laughter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807162903
Publisher:	Louisiana State University Press
Publication date:	03/01/2016
Pages:	88
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 5.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

David Kirby, the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor at Florida State University, has received numerous Pushcart Prizes and other awards for his work. His poetry collections include The Ha-Ha, The House of Blue Light, Talking about Movies with Jesus, and The House on Boulevard St., a finalist for the National Book Award.

Editorial Reviews

04/01/2016
"Sometimes when I'm writing a poem,// I feel as though I'm operating that crusher that turns/ a full-size car into a metal cube the size of a suitcase.// At other times, I'm just a secretary." Thus does National Book Award finalist Kirby (The House on Boulevard St.) explain his ars poetica, which allows him to spin out story-telling verse in language that's colloquial and digressive, offering often eye-popping connections. How do we get from the childhood doctor who treated the speaker for polio to JFK's assassination? Readers might ask that a lot, as some associations here seem more far-flung than usual, but as always Kirby is exhilarating about showing us small if consequential moments and the concreteness of things. VERDICT Write a poem? "I'd suggest you shop for new/ underwear and take a taxi" says Kirby briskly, putting us right in the world. Accessible and fun.

Library Journal

"Cheerful and boyish, Kirby's poems [are]... written as though Kirby was trying to keep up with some bright inspiration moving at breakneck speed." — Publishers Weekly

"Kirby [is] a poet of shared humanity.... His poetry embraces subjects, words, and readers of all types in a blaze of ebullience and humility." — Harvard Review

"We're aflutter with anticipation of what drama is next to unfold from this dignified yet funny storyteller." — Library Journal

"Kirby's discursive poetry is something fresh.... I'm glad he's out there." — Parnassus: Poetry in Review

From the Publisher