Bodywork

Presents a collection of poetry and prose, which focuses on the human body, its weaknesses and strengths, mortality and physiology.

The starting point of many of the pieces in this dazzling collection is a single body part belonging to a specific character, real or imaginary: e.g. "Beethoven's Ear", or "The Tattooed Leg of Madame Vaekehu". Others concentrate on a person in a particular occupation, from "Sailmaker's Palm" to "Clergyman's Throat". Sometimes, as in the case of "Mad Hatter's Syndrome", the focus is literally based on the illness; in others, such as "Baker's Itch", it is a metaphorical rather than literal aspect which is central. This is a daring, exciting, amusing, sometimes salacious, always lyrical, a peep show of poetry.