James Cummins

Jim Cummins' wit and humor are legendary among both his friends. In his latest book of poems, Cummins maintains that the fear of death is the ultimate ego-trip, and central to this belief is his amusement at the self-centeredness of American experience. As he wrote in an early poem, he's interested in exploring the "border region between narcissism and an inner life." These poems cover a range of subjects, from teaching film noir to the silliness of academia & religion & maleness, to guns, love, friendship, beating a mother to death with a brick, an orange-colored president in diapers, and the death of a raccoon. With special cameos by Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Tom & Viv, John Wayne, Nick Black Elk, and Acker Bilk. Don't miss out. SAMPLE: Be Careful What You Wish ForOne night as you're staring into the 'abyss of erudition, 'the abyss loses interest in youand moves on down the line-sort of like metaphysical speed dating, except you didn't get the chanceto show it your credentials. You're ticked off, but it's unfairness that got you here to begin with, right? One thing you'd been certain ofwas that you were an interesting case- could this be a wake-up call? The abyss is way down the line now, oblivious, leaving behind a nothingnessyou peek out over the rim of, like a child who's just learned how to stand up in his crib.

Cummins's quiet, lunatic meditations--wait, that should be luminous meditations--are great fun. From father-son stuff, and women grousing about that sentimentality, to killing someone in your basement, or turning into a locust, or imagining his wife's violent death, Cummins hasn't lost his touch. Though he does lose his hand in one of these. Maybe it should be numinous meditations? In various emergencies?

The sestina is a traditional poetic form that has enjoyed a recent surge in popularity, which promises to expand further with this witty illustrated cycle of poems. Casting themselves as poetic superheroes, authors Jim and Dave take on Osama Bin Laden and various other rogues and luminaries, defeating the Masked Man in the end to the cheering of appreciative crowds at the "sestina bar." As the two sestina-meisters take turns writing individual poems (and collaborating on one together), the mild-mannered bespectacled lad and the dashing superhero that coexist inside both Cummins and Lehman rescue the form from the clutches of everyday life and transform it into something fantastic. In this ambitious work, even the table of contents is written in sestina form. Adding to the fun are 39 vivid illustrations by Archie Rand and cameo appearances by Marvin Bell, Anne Sexton, Walt Whitman, Ted Berrigan, Gary Snyder, Arthur Rimbaud, Grace Paley, and others."

James Cummins's first book of poems, The Whole Truth, became known throughout much of the poetry world as the "Perry Mason sestinas." His second book, Portrait in a Spoon, was chosen by Richard Howard for the James Dickey Prize Contemporary Poetry Series. His latest and most accomplished work is collected in Then and Now, which reflects the same inventiveness and wit evident in his earlier books, with a deepening of tone and spirit. The result is a collection of poems filled with feeling and with Cummins's signature anguished humor. If the language of poetry is a way into a hall of mirrors of the self, it can be a way out, too. The voice that emerges in Then and Now is sane, imaginative, bemused, and sly, not only taking responsibility for the character of the writer put fully on display, but ironically and affectionately exploring how this process occurs. Doing Lunch You have lunch with a friend. You put on a false face for him, because he is your friend. You want to spare him your maunderings, your lies and malfeasance. But this is just what your friend desires, because he is your friend. He wants your face to fall open in front of him and twitch like a rabbit hit on the fly. He says he wants the latest word from the border region between narcissism and an inner life. And laughs. Shamelessly, you tell him everything, because he is your friend.

James CumminsAes first book of poems, The Whole Truth, became known throughout much of the poetry world as the \u201cPerry Mason sestinas.\u201d His second book, Portrait in a Spoon, was chosen by Richard Howard for the James Dickey Prize Contemporary Poetry Series. His latest and most accomplished work is collected in Then & Now, which reflects the same inventiveness and wit evident in his earlier books, with a deepening of tone and spirit. The result is a collection of poems filled with feeling and with Cummins's signature anguished humor. If the language of poetry is a way into a hall of mirrors of the self, it can be a way out, too. The voice that emerges in Then & Now is sane, imaginative, bemused, and sly, not only taking responsibility for the character of the writer put fully on display, but ironically and affectionately exploring how this process occurs.