Poetic Justice: Satirical Verse from The Globe and Mail

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1554072298 ISBN 13: 9781554072293

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2006

Topical poems - smart, thoughtful, irreverent and funny.

John Allemang's "Poetic Justice" column in The Globe and Mail astonished the newspaper's readers when it was launched in 2002. Each week since then has brought a made-to-order poem about personalities in the news, written with a stylish flair and a well-versed cleverness that hardly seems possible with the immediacy of the potent subject matter.

Now Allemang has selected 75 of his most memorable poems that continue to charm, provoke and amuse his dedicated readership. Whether it's Conrad Black's costly approach to the joys of marriage or God's exasperated musings on the same-sex controversy, Allemang's conversational rhymes have created a following for topical verse that goes well beyond the usual poetry audience. Illustrations by The Globe and Mail's award-winning Brian Gable add a touch of visual wit to this collection of verses.

Poetic Justice is refreshingly simple and direct, accessible to anyone who longs for a smart, often funny and always engaging approach to the issues of the day.

About the Author:

John Allemang is The Globe and Mail's "deadline poet" as well as the paper's tireless "Book a Day" reviewer. Allemang has enjoyed a wide-ranging newspaper career and is an award-winning travel writer. He studied at the University of Toronto and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and is the author of The Importance of Lunch, an opinionated book about food and its pleasures. He lives in Toronto.

Review:

Like rock and roll, there are many different kinds of poetry in the world, and Allemang is whip smart, with allusions and interests sufficiently wide-ranging to keep his work sharp, incisive and sometimes very funny. (Chris Chambers This Magazine 2007-02-01)

These poems are a treasure trove / Of all our culture's worshipped shams / In tetrametrical iambs.... And criticism sounds much worse / when dished out in exquisite verse; / Though poetry may seem archaic, / Prose is sometimes too prosaic. (Nicholas Pashley Univ of Toronto Bookstore Review)

Witty, satirical missives written in rhyme... clever, made-to-order poems. (Kathy English Globe and Mail 2006-12-30)

The targets of Allemang's breezy verse include everyone from Stephen Harper to Don Cherry to Martha Stewart to Osama bin Laden. (Quill and Quire 2006-12-01)

Poetic Justice is good news for [Allemang's] fans. ... Amusing, witty and sometimes very hard-hitting ... Whether pop icon, political figure, or fleetingly famous, no one is spared. This is definitely one of those books that those who like satire should add to their collection. (Alide Kohlhaas Lancette Journal of the Arts (lancetter.ca))

(starred review) Although Allemang's poetry is connected to the oft-transient headlines of the week, some of his poems, such as "Same-Sex: God Weighs In," "Here's Osama!,"..."Osama's Christmas Letters" and "Chewing the Fat," have legs as they deal with recurring issues in our world. The book's visual appearance is enhanced by a dozen drawings by Brian Gable, the editorial cartoonist for The Globe and Mail... Poetic Justice: Satirical Verse from The Globe and Mail would likely be housed in the adult section of a public library, but the book definitely would not be out of place in a high school library or classroom. English teachers could use it to show the relevance of the poetic form in today's world while the book's contents have numerous obvious tie-ins with contemporary history or world issues classes...[or] a physical education class. As well, satire is also a sophisticated form of humour that appeals to the critical, sometimes cynical, minds of many older adolescents. Highly
Recommended. (Dave Jenkinson Canadian Materials 2006-11-10)