In Plain, Unpretentious Language, with brutal honesty, Ron Koertge can meld violence, love, human ugliness, joy, and modern depravity into a short lyric that makes us laugh out loud or socks us in the gut. His images arrive in giant clown shoes -- cigars the size of Florida, the plastic man's counter-length arms -- or Koertge neatly packages them in carefully observed detail, writing of an ant's black little heart or the dark and leathery breast of an ape. Through every poem there runs a constant and sincere humanity, a voice that laughs at itself, goads us a bit, but just as often lifts us up when we place ourselves gambling with the crowd at Ruidoso race track, driving from the parking lot of the Mexican restaurant, or shambling with the distraught parent leaving the hospital. In Making Love to Roget's Wife, Ron Koertge offers his best work from twenty-three years and a dozen earlier collections. With twenty-five new poems, and over eighty from previous books, this selection will serve to reawaken us to the presence of a superbly honed, comic voice. These poems run off the tracks, and yet somehow make tremendous sense. They are not only the most charming poems in the world, but great fun. There is something holy about a poet who wants to give his readers nothing but pleasure. He throws such magic dust in the eyes that I swear Ron Koertge is my favorite poet. I couldn't be a bigger fan. -- Ed Field
- ISBN10 155728461X
- ISBN13 9781557284617
- Publish Date 31 July 2001 (first published 30 July 2001)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint University of Arkansas Press
- Format Paperback
- Pages 113
- Language English