Sweet Ruin

by Tony Hoagland

Published 1 January 1992
Tony Hoagland's poems sparkle with effervescence, a jujitsu cleverness -- a "wise-guy" aesthetic. Through unexpected subjects ranging from the boy who speaks only in "Kung Fu" dialogue, to a man visiting a lesbian bar, Hoagland gives a sense of finally being able to say the truth about the credentials of manhood.