Opcit at Large

"In "Grace," not only does John Barr handle the demanding form of the long poem with skill and panache, but he delivers a one-of-a-kind linguistic tour de force. Spoken mostly in a Caribbean dialect and rollicking with word play, Grace achieves a riotous level of verbal inventiveness. I don't know any other work with which to compare it unless we think of it as a kind of funky "Finnegans Wake" in verse with palm trees. You have never read anything quite like this wildly sustained imaginative drama. Set those one-page lyrics aside and dive into this momentous feat."--Billy Collins
"I have relished reading "Grace" and rereading it many times. I think it is an extraordinary piece of writing, so daring and yet so joyfully positive. At times uproariously funny, and then, suddenly, so beautifully sad, a wondrous attempt to humanize the language that for me translates into sheer reading pleasure. I keep it on my small private bookshelf, it has given me a reading pleasure that doesn't come often from new poetry these days."--Alastair Reid, "The New Yorker"
"John Barr's "Grace" is a wonderful surprise. It's that rarest, rarest, rarest of phenomena, an enjoyable book of contemporary poetry. He's on to something marvelous. The potential of his new approach is limitless."--Tom Wolfe
"The six parts of ["Grace"] add up to a linguistic tour de force, verbal playfulness reminiscent of the work of James Joyce or Anthony Burgess. Grace is a unique reading experience, guaranteed to add spice to the 'glum tostada' of American poetry."--"Library Journal"
"In "Grace", not only does John Barr handle the demanding form of the long poem with skill and panache, but he delivers a one-of-a-kind linguistic tour de force. Spoken mostly in a Caribbean dialect and rollicking with word play, Grace achieves a riotous level of verbal inventiveness. I don't know any other work with which to compare it unless we think of it as a kind of funky "Finnegans Wake" in verse with palm trees. You have never read anything quite like this wildly sustained imaginative drama. Set those one-page lyrics aside and dive into this momentous feat."--Billy Collins

"John Barr, writer of epic poems or poetic epics (the poetry-illiterate may not draw a distinction), has returned with Book II of "The Adventures of Ibn Opcit". This second volume, "Opcit at Large", mires our eponymous poet-hero in more than a few existential pickles.... Those enamored of clever turns of phrase will enjoy "Opcit at Large". The stories are surreal, existential landscapes that beg a second read. Barr is a wizard at wordplay."
--"ForeWord Reviews"
In "Grace," not only does John Barr handle the demanding form of the long poem with skill and panache, but he delivers a one-of-a-kind linguistic tour de force. Spoken mostly in a Caribbean dialect and rollicking with word play, Grace achieves a riotous level of verbal inventiveness. I don t know any other work with which to compare it unless we think of it as a kind of funky "Finnegans Wake" in verse with palm trees. You have never read anything quite like this wildly sustained imaginative drama. Set those one-page lyrics aside and dive into this momentous feat. Billy Collins"
I have relished reading "Grace" and rereading it many times. I think it is an extraordinary piece of writing, so daring and yet so joyfully positive. At times uproariously funny, and then, suddenly, so beautifully sad, a wondrous attempt to humanize the language that for me translates into sheer reading pleasure. I keep it on my small private bookshelf, it has given me a reading pleasure that doesn t come often from new poetry these days. Alastair Reid, "The New Yorker""
John Barr s "Grace" is a wonderful surprise. It s that rarest, rarest, rarest of phenomena, an enjoyable book of contemporary poetry. He s on to something marvelous. The potential of his new approach is limitless. Tom Wolfe"
The six parts of ["Grace"] add up to a linguistic tour de force, verbal playfulness reminiscent of the work of James Joyce or Anthony Burgess. Grace is a unique reading experience, guaranteed to add spice to the glum tostada of American poetry. "Library Journal""

Barr imbues his characters with such distinct voices and is so incredibly comfortable with wordplay and truly gifted at turns of phrase that the result is a (nearly guilty) pleasure to read.
"Booklist""

John Barr, writer of epic poems or poetic epics (the poetry-illiterate may not draw a distinction), has returned with Book II of "The Adventures of Ibn Opcit." This second volume, "Opcit at Large," mires our eponymous poet-hero in more than a few existential pickles . Those enamored of clever turns of phrase will enjoy "Opcit at Large." The stories are surreal, existential landscapes that beg a second read. Barr is a wizard at wordplay.
"ForeWord Reviews""
In Grace, not only does John Barr handle the demanding form of the long poem with skill and panache, but he delivers a one-of-a-kind linguistic tour de force. Spoken mostly in a Caribbean dialect and rollicking with word play, Grace achieves a riotous level of verbal inventiveness. I don t know any other work with which to compare it unless we think of it as a kind of funky Finnegans Wake in verse with palm trees. You have never read anything quite like this wildly sustained imaginative drama. Set those one-page lyrics aside and dive into this momentous feat. Billy Collins"
I have relished reading Grace and rereading it many times. I think it is an extraordinary piece of writing, so daring and yet so joyfully positive. At times uproariously funny, and then, suddenly, so beautifully sad, a wondrous attempt to humanize the language that for me translates into sheer reading pleasure. I keep it on my small private bookshelf, it has given me a reading pleasure that doesn t come often from new poetry these days. Alastair Reid, The New Yorker"
John Barr s Grace is a wonderful surprise. It s that rarest, rarest, rarest of phenomena, an enjoyable book of contemporary poetry. He s on to something marvelous. The potential of his new approach is limitless. Tom Wolfe"
The six parts of [Grace] add up to a linguistic tour de force, verbal playfulness reminiscent of the work of James Joyce or Anthony Burgess. Grace is a unique reading experience, guaranteed to add spice to the glum tostada of American poetry. Library Journal"

Barr imbues his characters with such distinct voices and is so incredibly comfortable with wordplay and truly gifted at turns of phrase that the result is a (nearly guilty) pleasure to read.
Booklist

"

John Barr, writer of epic poems or poetic epics (the poetry-illiterate may not draw a distinction), has returned with Book II of The Adventures of Ibn Opcit. This second volume, Opcit at Large, mires our eponymous poet-hero in more than a few existential pickles . Those enamored of clever turns of phrase will enjoy Opcit at Large. The stories are surreal, existential landscapes that beg a second read. Barr is a wizard at wordplay.
ForeWord Reviews

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