{"product_id":"city-bird-and-other-poems-city-lights-spotlight-series-no-24-9780872869332","title":"City Bird and Other Poems: City Lights Spotlight Series No 24","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn underground denizen of San Francisco soars above it in a state-of-the-art long poem.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"These poems about San Francisco challenge the media narrative of a city in decline, paying tribute to its joys. Dunagan weaves in allusions to artists, including Joan Brown and Jay DeFeo, poets Bill Berkson and Lew Welch, and local landmarks O'Farrell Street and St. Anne of the Sunset.\"\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e--Publishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOver a decade ago, Patrick James Dunagan stoically refused to be published in the Spotlight series, citing his desire to maintain critical independence as a prolific reviewer of contemporary poetry. Finally, he has been prevailed upon to turn over a manuscript, \u003cem\u003eCity Bird and Other Poems\u003c\/em\u003e. Defying the media narrative of the city's demise, the poems of \u003cem\u003eCity Bird\u003c\/em\u003e celebrate the joys of San Francisco, invoking artists like Joan Brown and Jay DeFeo, poets like Bill Berkson and Lew Welch, and local landmarks like O'Farrell Street, St. Anne of the Sunset, and \u003cem\u003eThrasher\u003c\/em\u003e magazine, all the while foregrounding Dunagan's lightly worn erudition.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut the book stands on its lengthy title poem, a tour de force combining composition and collage, filtered through the poet's laid-back lyricism. Unapologetically literary with its understated formal imperatives, \u003cem\u003eCity Bird\u003c\/em\u003e is at once a self-referential poetics, examining itself unfolding, and a stream-of-consciousness narrative of Hugh, the nominal protagonist, seemingly engaged in eating a sandwich. Proustian in its sweep, even as it courts a ludicrous Beckett-like minimalism, the poem takes sidelong glances at our contemporary political malaise, while contemplating consciousness itself. If Ashbery had written \"The Skaters\" about skateboarders, it might have come out very like \u003cem\u003eCity Bird\u003c\/em\u003e. A major achievement in contemporary American poetry, \u003cem\u003eCity Bird\u003c\/em\u003e further confirms Dunagan's reputation as the best-kept secret of San Francisco.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePatrick James Dunagan\u003c\/b\u003e holds an MA\/MFA in Poetics from the now defunct New College of California, where he studied with David Meltzer, Tom Clark, and Joanne Kyger. He's author of many poetry collections, including \u003ci\u003eDrops of Rain\/Drops of Wine\u003c\/i\u003e (Spuyten Duyvil, 2016), \u003ci\u003eSketch of the Artist\u003c\/i\u003e (FMSBW, 2018), and \u003ci\u003eAfter the Banished\u003c\/i\u003e (Empty Bowl, 2022), as well as a book of criticism, \u003ci\u003eThe Duncan Era\u003c\/i\u003e (Spuyten Duyvil, 2016). Additionally, he has served as editor for David Meltzer's \u003ci\u003eRock Tao\u003c\/i\u003e (Lithic, 2022), among other titles. He reviews regularly for \u003ci\u003eRain Taxi\u003c\/i\u003e, and works as a library assistant at Gleeson Library for the University of San Francisco. He has lived in San Francisco for over 20 years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"City Lights Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50893762527506,"sku":"9780872869332","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_47e099dd-e057-4952-8c7c-7e74240b0da6.jpg?v=1738237219","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/city-bird-and-other-poems-city-lights-spotlight-series-no-24-9780872869332","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}