Poetry. Ivan Argüelles's COMEDY, DIVINE, THE is a tour de force of religious passion that never loses its head, that maintains a level of spirituality new to my poetic-eye. This is not to say it has a medium level of intensity or inspiration, rather one has the feeling Argüelles is, in this book, at a new high level of poetic-energy.

Author City: BERKELEY, CA USA

Ivan Argüelles is one of this century's foremost surrealist poets. Born in Minnesota of Mexican and Anglo parentage (his father was a "communista" who knew Leon Trotsky personally), Ivan lived throughout the United States before settling in Berkeley, California. A polyglot and classicist, Argüelles manages to convey in his work a magical combination of surpassing reality and an almost eerie symbolism. His many books include A DAY IN THE SUN, ULTERIOR VISION(S), THE DEATH OF STALIN: SELECTED EARLY POEMS 1978-1989 (The Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award, 2011), The Invention of Spain, LOOKING FOR MARY LOU: ILLEGAL SYNTAX (William Carlos Williams Award, 1989), "THAT" GODDESS, MADONNA SEPTET (2 vols.), INFERNO, and COMEDY, DIVINE, THE. Argüelles is founder and co-editor of Pantograph Press.

Reviews and Other Links
Peter Ganick @ MediaFromDanteToTheLostAndFound