Imagery and narrative harmonize the song of a world facing epochal change in Grotesque Singers, a new poetry collection by Rick Mullin. Voices in the choir evoke those of Herman Melville, Modest Mussorgsky, David Lynch, and others just beyond the range of name retrieval. The book orchestrates this tumult of expression such that clarity may arise in a reading sensitive to the nature of personal and communal collapse, and the lifelong journey toward redemption. 

Grotesque Singers is divided into four sections, three anchored by a sonnet crown-a narrative series of sonnets linked by the repletion of last and first lines of verses, with the last line of the last sonnet repeating the first line of the first, completing the circuit. While the form is nearly identical in each of the crowns, the four vary widely in tone and voicing, each establishing themes along the lines of Walpurgisnacht, Memento mori, Wrack, and Redemption. 

Along the way, a reader will experience terrifying stage appearances, a gallery of gothic pictures, encounters with a tattooed outcast, and remembrances of a Beatle and a beloved Cold War-vintage toy. Statements of the poet's dying mother recounting morning dreams-her wish for the world at manageable scale-speak to a new vision at the dying of the light. The consciousness of a lost, eternal chord in "The Obscure" reminds us that there is something like ineffable intelligence that cannot be doused by the artificial. Meanwhile, there are the depictions of all-too-effable hardships and dilemmas in poems such as "Firings," "Tattoo Man," and "After All." The evocation of loss and lament in these poems is met with a demand in "Fortinbras" that the lost spirit assert itself and speak for the world in its decline. 

Grotesque Singers as a whole suggests a crown, an-end-at-the-beginning, an orbit around a planet that is itself turning. Chaos of the world is here, comprising memorable images a reader might arrange to realize an integral vision, one that may well culminate in the collection's closing picture of an old man, his his lame dog and the pair of hawks circling toward a burning oblivion overhead.  

In the sarcophagal words of the profane tenor Jackie Gleason, "And away we go."

About the Author

Rick Mullin is a painter and writer living in northern New Jersey. His poetry has appeared in various journals and anthologies including American Arts Quarterly, The New Criterion, Measure, The Raintown Review, Ep;phany, Bad Lillies, Unsplendid, and Rabbit Ears: TV Poems. His books include Soutine (Dos Madres, 2012), Sonnets from the Voyage of the Beagle (Dos Madres, 2014), Lullaby and Wheel (Kelsay Books, 2019), and Huncke (second edition, Exot Books, 2021). His paintings are in collections in the U.S., Canada, England, Germany, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, the British Virgin Islands and Australia.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Save up to 90% on your favorite items at BargainBookStores.com! Our 20,000 square foot warehouse in Grand Rapids, Michigan is filled with hundreds of thousands of books and consumer goods, all at the lowest prices! We've been serving internet customers with great deals since 2001. All books ship from Grand Rapids, Michigan. 100% Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed We want to ensure your satisfaction. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase or shopping experience, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us by email: cs@bargainbookstores.com. Please be sure to include your contact information and order number. We do not charge a restocking fee for returns. Your Privacy BargainBookStores.com does not provide, sell or market customer information to other businesses or organizations.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

BargainBookStores
3423 Lousma Dr SE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49548, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

BargainBookStores guarantees 100% Customer Satisfaction. We ship worldwide and offer a variety of shipping methods to meet your needs. Please place your order directly via ABEBooks.com. We accept payment by MasterCard and Visa. For more information, contact us by email at cs@bargainbookstores.com. Full contact info is below:

BargainBookStores.com LLC
3423 Lousma Dr SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49548

Right of cancellation

If you are a consumer you can cancel the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.

INFORMATION REGARDING THE RIGHT OF CANCELLATION

Statutory Right to cancel

You have the right to cancel this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.

The cancellation period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the the last good or the last lot or piece.

To exercise the right to cancel, you must inform us, BargainBookStores, 3423 Lousma Dr SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A., 49548, +1 616-301-2349, of your decision to cancel this contract by a clear statement (e.g. a letter sent by post, fax or e-mail). You may use the attached model cancellation form, but it is not obligatory. You can also electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". If you use this option, we will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a cancellation on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.

To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right to cancel before the cancellation period has expired.

Effects of cancellation

If you cancel this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).

We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.

We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to cancel with contract.

We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.

We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.

You shall send back the goods or hand them over to us or BargainBookStores, 3423 Lousma Dr SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A., 49548, +1 616-301-2349, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your cancellation from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.

Exceptions to the right of cancellation

The right of cancellation does not apply to:

the delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
the supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not cancel it once delivery had started.

Model withdrawal form

(complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract)

To: (BargainBookStores, 3423 Lousma Dr SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A., 49548, +1 616-301-2349)

I/We (*) hereby give notice that I/We (*) withdraw from my/our (*) contract of sale of the following goods (*)/for the provision of the following goods (*)/for the provision of the following service (*),

Ordered on (*)/received on (*)

Name of consumer(s)

Address of consumer(s)

Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is notified on paper)

Date

* Delete as appropriate.

Shipping Terms

We will ship to all domestic and most international destinations.

Please note: Shipping times are estimated and are not guaranteed by BargainBookStores.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	4 to 10 business days	4 to 9 business days
First item	� 0.00	� 29.37

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.