Madness, Rack, and Honey

Mary Ruefle is just beginning to enjoy the acclaim of critics and contemporaries that other masters of her generation have experienced. Excitement surrounding her work reached new highs with Selected Poems and the ensuing 2011 William Carlos Williams Award. Madness, Rack and Honey ensures continued, perhaps exponential momentum.

One of the most beloved poets working today, her lectures will appeal both to students of poetry and to their teachers. Awe-inspiring and astute, this collection elevates the conversation around art and purpose while being deeply satisfying reading. Ruefle’s genius articulation of the issues surrounding the chosen (or unchosen) life, a life dedicated in every way to poetry, inspire a gratitude one rarely feels when reading work of this nature.

The experience of reading a Ruefle lecture, much like reading a Ruefle poem, is of never knowing where you will end up, or what you will encounter along the way. Ironic titles (“On Form,” for example), as well as the perception of ‘lecturing’ itself, belie the richness within.

Initial announcements of this forthcoming title have elicited positive response, and we anticipate an eager readership.

We will promote this title through social media, the author's page on our website, and Wave mailing lists.