if wants to be the same as is

Essential Poems of David Bromige

edited by David Bromige; Jack Krick & Ron Silliman, by David Bromige, introduction by George Bowering

tagged: canadian

Description

Drawn from 22 books of poetry published by David Bromige in his lifetime, if wants to be the same as is chronicles the career of one of contemporary poetry's most distinctive writers. Born in London, England, in 1933, raised in Canada, and a resident for most of his adult life of California, David Bromige is just as difficult to pin down in terms of his aesthetics. As a student at the University of BC in the early 1960s, Bromige met writers like Fred Wah, George Bowering, and Jamie Reid, who pointed him towards the American postmodernists, and eventually, to a scholarship to UC–Berkeley. There, he became immersed in the Bay Area's explosively creative poetry scene, and came to be associated with many of the L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poets. Bromige's own work, however, holds wide appeal and from the start resisted any sort of classification, winning praise across the literary-critical spectrum. His publishers included Black Sparrow Press (Bukowski's publisher), Sun & Moon, Brick, and The Figures, and he won acclaim from the likes of Robert Hass, the Poetry Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He died in Sebastopol, California, in 2009. if wants to be the same as is presents a life's work that is, in the words of Bob Perelman, "beautiful, deeply amusing, continually surprising."

"He is among the three or four most significant writers of his generation ... He is an outstanding story-teller, and ... at the same time, he is capable of great lyrical moments in which the full resonance of ear and eye are brought to a focus ... uncompromising in his commitment to the full complexity of poetry as a language art."

— Michael Davidson

"Outstanding in his generation out of Canada for me has been the work of David Bromige ... He has gained the art and language in which he brings his readers deeper than any consideration of a personality to the awareness of a living man."

— Robert Duncan

"There is no more brilliantly inventive poet writing in the United States at this time ... a poet of enormous intellect, humor and innovation who is always shifting out from under the solutions of the last book and posing new questions and linguistic possibilities for a song."

— Kathleen Fraser

About the Authors

David Bromige

Drawn from 22 books of poetry published by David Bromige in his lifetime, if wants to be the same as is chronicles the career of one of contemporary poetry's most distinctive writers.

Born in London, England, in 1933, raised in Canada, and a resident for most of his adult life of California, David Bromige is just as difficult to pin down in terms of his aesthetics. As a student at the University of BC in the early 1960s, Bromige met writers like Fred Wah, George Bowering, and Jamie Reid, who pointed him towards the American postmodernists, and eventually, to a scholarship to UC-Berkeley. There, he became immersed in the Bay Area's explosively creative poetry scene, and came to be associated with many of the L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poets.

Bromige's own work, however, holds wide appeal and from the start resisted any sort of classification, winning praise across the literary-critical spectrum. His publishers included Black Sparrow Press (Bukowski's publisher), Sun & Moon, Brick, and The Figures, and he won acclaim from the likes of Robert Hass, the Poetry Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He died in Sebastopol, California, in 2009.

if wants to be the same as is presents a life's work that is, in the words of Bob Perelman, "beautiful, deeply amusing, continually surprising."

Jack Krick

Drawn from 22 books of poetry published by David Bromige in his lifetime, if wants to be the same as is chronicles the career of one of contemporary poetry's most distinctive writers.

Born in London, England, in 1933, raised in Canada, and a resident for most of his adult life of California, David Bromige is just as difficult to pin down in terms of his aesthetics. As a student at the University of BC in the early 1960s, Bromige met writers like Fred Wah, George Bowering, and Jamie Reid, who pointed him towards the American postmodernists, and eventually, to a scholarship to UC-Berkeley. There, he became immersed in the Bay Area's explosively creative poetry scene, and came to be associated with many of the L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poets.

Bromige's own work, however, holds wide appeal and from the start resisted any sort of classification, winning praise across the literary-critical spectrum. His publishers included Black Sparrow Press (Bukowski's publisher), Sun & Moon, Brick, and The Figures, and he won acclaim from the likes of Robert Hass, the Poetry Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He died in Sebastopol, California, in 2009.

if wants to be the same as is presents a life's work that is, in the words of Bob Perelman, "beautiful, deeply amusing, continually surprising."

David Bromige taught at Sonoma State University for over twenty years, published thirty books of poetry, and was twice honoured by both the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. He died in 2009.

Ron Silliman has written and edited over 30 books, and has had his poetry and criticism translated into 12 languages. He has worked as a political activist, editor, and market analyst. Among his honors, Silliman was a 2012 Kelly Writers House Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, and the 2010 recipient of the Levinson Prize, from the Poetry Foundation. His sculpture poetry (Bury Neon) is permanently on display in the transit centre of Bury, Lancashire, and he has a plaque in the walk dedicated to poetry in his home town of Berkeley, although he now lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

George Bowering is a distinguished novelist, poet, editor, professor, historian and tireless supporter of fellow writers. He has authored more than one hundred books and chapbooks, including works of poetry, fiction, autobiography, biography and fiction for young readers. His writing has been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese and Romanian. His novel, Burning Water, won the Governor General’s award for fiction and his memoir, Pinboy, was short-listed for the BC National Award for non-fiction in 2013. George Bowering is a two-time recipient of the Governor General’s Award, Canada’s top literary prize, and served as Canada’s first Parliamentary Poet Laureate. He is an Officer of both the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.

Contributor Notes

Drawn from 22 books of poetry published by David Bromige in his lifetime, if wants to be the same as is chronicles the career of one of contemporary poetry's most distinctive writers.

Born in London, England, in 1933, raised in Canada, and a resident for most of his adult life of California, David Bromige is just as difficult to pin down in terms of his aesthetics. As a student at the University of BC in the early 1960s, Bromige met writers like Fred Wah, George Bowering, and Jamie Reid, who pointed him towards the American postmodernists, and eventually, to a scholarship to UC-Berkeley. There, he became immersed in the Bay Area's explosively creative poetry scene, and came to be associated with many of the L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poets.

Bromige's own work, however, holds wide appeal and from the start resisted any sort of classification, winning praise across the literary-critical spectrum. His publishers included Black Sparrow Press (Bukowski's publisher), Sun & Moon, Brick, and The Figures, and he won acclaim from the likes of Robert Hass, the Poetry Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He died in Sebastopol, California, in 2009.

if wants to be the same as is presents a life's work that is, in the words of Bob Perelman, "beautiful, deeply amusing, continually surprising."

About BC Books Online

if wants to be the same as is

Essential Poems of David Bromige

edited by David Bromige; Jack Krick & Ron Silliman, by David Bromige, introduction by George Bowering

David Bromige

Jack Krick

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