The Disappearing Act: Poems - Softcover

Sara Pirkle Hughes (author)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0881466522 ISBN 13: 9780881466522

Publisher: Mercer University Press, 2018

Synopsis

In her first collection of poems, Sara Pirkle Hughes explores the role memory plays in shaping identity and a person’s perception of the past. The book’s title, The Disappearing Act, posits that time is a magician causing every moment in a person's life to disappear, and every poem in the collection is the poet's attempt to recapture what has vanished, while also acknowledging the inherent paradox of writing about the past. The fallible nature of memory makes it impossible to preserve an experience free of distortion. Born and raised in Georgia, Hughes uses the Southern tradition of storytelling as a jumping off point to examine her own personal history as well as family stories. However, nearly every poem in this award-winning collection incorporates formal elements, often fusing narrative with restrictive structures such as sonnets, pantoums, and villanelles.

About this title

About the Author

Sara Pirkle Hughes is a Georgia native, an identical twin, and a breast cancer survivor. She holds a PhD in English and an MFA in Creative Writing. A recipient of writing fellowships from I-Park Foundation, the Anderson Center, and the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences, Hughes teaches at the University of Alabama.

Edition details

• Publisher: Mercer University Press
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0881466522
• ISBN 13: 9780881466522
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 277