Description
Poetry. Film. OBEDIENT LAUGHTER is the second book of Ray DiPalma's poetry published by Seismicity Editions, following the extraordinary 2009 volume, THE ANCIENT USE OF STONE, of which Don Share wrote, "His mind is a distillery, an alembic, and that's why his quotidian pluckings and gatherings are so musical—and so fascinating." Like much of DiPalma's mature work, the thrust of his compositions in OBEDIENT LAUGHTER is both ludic and antic, taking its place in the carnivalesque tradition that comes to us from poets of antiquity, down through the Goliard Poets, Rabelais, Goldoni and Beckett, among others. In Beckett's Endgame we are reminded that "Nothing is funnier than unhappiness," and so DiPalma's latest collection takes a step beyond the mordant conclusion of Beckett's observation, while questioning the true nature of obedience. OBEDIENT LAUGHTER is part of Otis Books | Seismicity Editions' Chroma Series, featuring poetry and prose by Guy Bennett, Dennis Phillips, Paul Vangelisti and Sarah Shun-lien Bynum.
Author Bio
Born in New Kensington, PA in 1943, Ray DiPalma received his BA from Duquesne University and his MFA from the U. of Iowa. From 1968-1975 he taught at Bowling Green University and moved to New York in 1975. Author of more than thirty books of poetry, DiPalma has also published many editions of visual work, including one-of-a-kind artist's books. Most recently, Otis Books | Seismicity published OBEDIENT LAUGHTER (2014), and THE ANCIENT USE OF STONE in 2009.
Author City: NEW YORK, NY USA