Sometimes when I read poetry book blurbs I find the ingredients that go into the book funny.
Take Circle by Victoria Chang, for example:
“Locating human desire within the helixes of politics, society, and war, Chang skillfully draws arcs between T’ang Dynasty suicides and Alfred Hitchcock leading ladies, between the Hong Kong Flower Lounge and an all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch, the Rape of Nanking and civilian casualties in Iraq.”
Wow, huh? It’s like a recipe for some crazy salad.
“In a poignant body of work that releases us from the dungeon of routine while casting an unflinching glance at our inextricable connection to the Greek classics, Ambrosia combines one container of Cool Whip with walnuts, shredded coconut, pineapple chunks, mini marshmallows, maraschino cherries, mandarin slices and a dollop of sour cream.”
Friday, February 12, 2010
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9 comments:
Hilarious!
But now I am hungry for ambrosia.
Me, too.
Any serious tips for writing blurbs that don't provoke grimages or guffaws? I've recently been asked to write one for the first time, and agreed just so I could get to read the manuscript, but I'm not sure I have it in me to write the kind of purple prose that seems to be required these days.
(Grimaces, not grimages!)
Wow. You could be a ghost-blurber!
Blurbs are really hard, especially if you aren't completely wild about the book. I'd just take a blurb I like and replace the poet's name and title. Of course if there aren't any poems in the book about Hitchcock's leading ladies or T'ang dynasty suicides, you'd also have to add something that was in the book.
“Locating divorce within the helixes of politics, society, and shopping, Jones skillfully draws arcs between Wal-Mart midnight shopping and the Coen Brothers’ plots, between September 11 and the extinction of the titmouse, geographical cancer clusters and the nightmare that is Iraq.”
*SNORK*
Smirks and snorkles!
By George Sarah,I think we've got it...the answer lies in the titmouse shopping trolley!
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