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This collection of humorous and satiric verse takes its title from that thoroughly southern term meaning irreverent retort, ironic remark, or scoffing observation. The ancient Roman poet Juvenal noted that his world made it hard not to write satire. Fred Chappell, finding his contemporary era analogous to that of imperial Rome, has in Backsass given in to the impulse for invective and mockery. The aim of satirists is to improve the moral tenor of society, and they approach this goal by first causing us to laugh at ourselves. Brandishing his lexical sword, Chappell ribs our shortcomings, offers tonic advice, and occasionally sheds a tear for our fallen ideals. Some poetry is fine wine. Backsass is the driest of martinis.
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About the Author:
From Booklist:
Fred Chappell is the author of a dozen books of verse, two story collections, and eight novels. A native of Canton in the mountains of western North Carolina, he has taught at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro since 1964. He is the winner of, among other awards, the Bollingen Prize in Poetry, Aiken Taylor Prize, T. S. Eliot Prize, and Roanoke-Chowan Poetry Prize seven times over.
Opening and closing with his fabulously witty "answering machine poems," Chappell sets the sarcastic tone for Backsass, an aptly titled collection, and comes out swinging. Prodding us with verbal jabs, thumping our heads with astute social and political commentary, and leveling us with perfect puns, Chappell is in his element here, able to cover the gamut from politics to technology to the state of our youth. It is refreshing to depart from the often "movement" driven or overly therapeutic or utterly navel-gazing styles of poetry that pervade the pages of pretentious literary magazines and popular publishers' catalogs. Chappell is almost uniquely funny (something not seen often in poetry), which does not mean inane or superficial. He is a trickster bard, the one who cleverly makes us look at ourselves and laugh--something we could use more of these days. Janet St. John
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherLouisiana State Univ Pr
- Publication date2004
- ISBN 10 0807129437
- ISBN 13 9780807129432
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages64
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