Abstract:
William Wei-Yi Marr writes, “An ironic spirit lies in wait between these lines, ready to pounce on the unwary.” Starting with an exploration of the world of spirit that surrounds us, we proceed through two series of poems about children conceived in passion during the Roman occupation of Judea and the Vietnam era in America. We next hear the voices of Adam, his wives and other familiar figures from the Bible, often as portrayed in little-known traditions. We then learn of families real and imaginary and observe cats, credit cards, Santa Claus, Memorial Day picnics and 1823 love letters.