The Hell & the Halcyon & Pulp Ran with the Ghost: Poems

Date

2021-01-16

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Volume Title

Publisher

MFA in Creative Writing, The University of Tampa

Abstract

The Hell and the Halcyon is a documentary poem based on evidence related to the Columbine High School shooting. In keeping with the nature of documentary poetry, The Hell and the Halcyon is unabashedly subjective and experimental, refusing the restrictive qualities associated with typical documentarian work. It is comprised of subsections that each refocus the narrative by shifting back and forth between observatory third person and visceral first-person narratives. This piece draws inspiration from John Milton’s Paradise Lost and CD Wright’s One Big Self, as well as from Rammstein and Nine Inch Nails lyrics. It is a flirtation with cacophonic sound that celebrates the sonic and tonal aesthetics of plain, albeit impassioned speech. Pulp Ran with the Ghost is a collection of sixteen poems that range from confessional to mythological and folktale-inspired. The collection features guest appearances from Elvis Presley’s former girlfriend, an alcoholic mermaid, and even a gingerroot named “Tom.” Pulp Ran with The Ghost embraces the dark and the absurd, utilizing unexpected metaphors as points of entry into pits of both humor and despair.

Description

Keywords

documentary poem, Columbine High School shooting

Citation

DOI

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