Packing Up for Paradise: Selected Pomes 1946-1996 [Hardcover]

James Broughton (Author), Jim Cory (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1997

It is often said that poet-filmmaker James Broughton's films are poetic, and his poems cinematic: "On the long outskirts of a dismantled city / toward the final flicker of dusk / I entered the cave of an unfinished cathedral." Without a doubt, he has met with abundant success in both of these pursuits, having won lifetime achievement awards from both the National Poetry Association and the American Film Association. While Black Sparrow has not (yet) compiled a Broughton film compendium, this collection of poetry showcases the work of "the heartiest and most enthusiastic celebrant since Whitman" (Jim Cory). Above all, Broughton delights in pleasures of body and soul - but perhaps especially those of the body - with wit and charm. As Rain Taxi writes, "Broughton's is a poetry of revelation, not obfuscation. . . . Each poem is a celebration and a call to offset the putrefaction of complacency with a bit of devilishness."



Only when I wing

am I dancing on the ground

Only when I fly

am I I

Only when I sing

am I quietly profound

Only when I glee

am I me



(Only When I)

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

paper 1-57423-052-2 Fifty years of poetry is here distilled into one fat volume by the West Coast filmmaker best known for the avant-garde classic Loony Tom (1951). Wildly indiscriminate, Broughton clings to a grab-bag mysticism throughout his career, and, like his mentor, Blake, he celebrates innocence in childlike ditties and develops a self-referential mythology thats at times impenetrable. Deliberately archaic, and full of sing-song repetition, Broughtons fractured nursery rhymes and street jingles are, at best, the charming ephemera of a self-described amorist who later proclaims, I am Polly Morphus, as if we didnt know, what with endless verse extolling Nipples and Cocks, the joys of fellatio, and all his other pagan appetites (including an expert ode to the phallus). But Broughtons boho goofiness, while charming in his early work, devolves into commonplace hippie grooviness (Nourish your bliss). A Whitmanesque catalogue of scenes from old L.A. (I Remember Los Angeles) stands out among the reams of self-indulgent and facile doggerel. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

Acupuncture Chorus
Afternoons In Ceylon
The Aging Balletomane
Aglow In Nowhere
The Aisles Of Eden
All My Deities
Always Ever And Only
Ambivalent Credo
The Angel-bird Tidies Up
The Angels Of Our Keeping
Anthem Of St Priapus
Anxiety Attack
An Appetite For Bliss
As Long As I Am 82
As Things Are Now
At The Androgyne Carnival
Autobiography
The Autumnal Astrologer's Prayer
The Ballad Of Mad Jenny
Beyond Her Depth
Bird & Bee Business
The Birds Of America
Blessed Are The Peacemakers
The Bliss Of With
The Blue Flood-tree
The Bride From The Sea
Bridge To The Innermost Forest
Call For A Desperate Measure
The Clever Troubadour Of Amoret County
Coming In For A Landing
The Coming Of The Beloved: Going Through Customs
Creations
Dance For My Seventy-second
The Daydreamer's Pie-eyed Piper
Daystar Express
Disorderly Elations: A Laud For A Brother
Disorderly Elations: I Remember Los Angeles
Disorderly Elations: Ode To Gaiety
Disorderly Elations: Qwert
Disorderly Elations: Remembering A Great Bear
Disorderly Elations: The Loins Of Mankind
Disorderly Elations: Two Adams In A Sonoma Wood
Disorderly Elations: Ways Of Getting There
Don Giovanni To The Very Nice New Virgin
The Dry-dock Stripling
Duet For A Blind Date
An Easter Litany For Trees
Elegy Of The Queen Of Sheba
Elegy, With Bird
Epithalamion Of Old Uncle Ovid
Everything Is Connected
A Farewell To The Household Muse
Feathers Or Lead?
Fishing Lesson
Food Food Food
For You Beloved
A Forced Sojourn In Moribundia
Fruits Of Experience
The Gardener Of Eden
The Gardener's Son
Gavin And The Green Uncle
Genesis Of Vowels
The Gift Of The Stag
The Girl With The Beady Black Eyes
Gladys On The Jump Rope
Gods And Little Fishes: Here's To It
Gods And Little Fishes: What Holds The Universe Together
Godspeed For A Devilish Sage
The Good Rodeo Fairy
The Gravity Of Spilt Milk
The Guide To The Mystifying Mountain
Gurgles
The Handy Boy
Happy Ending
The Happy Petty Thief
Having Come This Far
The Heir Of The Parson
Her Beauty Salon
Her Consultation Office
Her Dancing School
Her Dressing Room
Her Kitchen
Her Massage Parlor
Her Nativity Department
Her Operating Table
Her Service Station
Here Comes Your Messiah
Here I Am
Hermes My Eros
History Lesson
I Asked The Sea
I Heard In The Shell
I Stood In My Shoes
The Ice Cream Girl In The Playground
Imp Of The Inner Ear
In My Seventy-third November
In The Sanitarium
In The Senex Crib
Into The Dark Ages
It Was The Worm
Junior's Prayer
Kingdom Come
Knowing
L'apres-midi D'un Werther
A Lad From The Cold Country
The Lady Of The House
The Last Sermon Of Gnarley Never
Laughing Matter
Leaving The Taj Mahal
Letter From Sicily
Little Boy's Nasty News
The Little Reader's First Riddle
Little Sermons Of The Big Joy
Loony Tom's Song
The Madman's House
Mama Is Gone
Memento Of An Amorist
Mornings In Nepal
The Mouth-water Kingdom
Mrs. Mother Has A Nose
My Tortoise
Mysteries Of The Godbody: Confession
News From The Nursing Home
The Night Watch Of The Magdalene
Nightmare Rhyme
Nipples And Cocks
Nocturne Of Madame Bovary
A Number Of Surprises
Ocean View
The Old Guitarist Under The Freeway
Once Upon
Only When I Wing
Opento Question
Ordination For Poets
Orion Raphael On His Christening Day
The Orphan Girl In The Pleasure Garden
Packing Up For Paradise
Paean For Pan
Papa Has A Pig
Paris Street Songs
Parting Words For Madeline Gleason
The Partner
Psyche To Cupid: Her Ditty
Rebirthday Card
A Regarda For Varda
Rehearsing The Last Act
Rejoice
Remember Our Rhythms
Resume
Robin Hood's Other Nephew
A Round For Princess Printemps
Round Table
Scherzo For Three Maiden Ladies
Serena Felicity On Her Christening Day
Sermon Of The Holy Infant
Settling The Dust
The Shepherd's Urban Daughter
Sing Out For Eros
The Snow Leopard And The Scorpion
Solaces Of Senectitude
The Song Of Santiago De Compostela
Song Of The Bed
Song Of The Phallus
The Sorrows Of Befuddlement
Steamy Sophistry
Still Revising The Opus
Sunburn Serenade
The Sweet Tooth Witch
Tails Out Of School
Terminal Reports: On The Way To The Exit
Testimonies
They Were Living There
This Is It
This Is It #2
This Little Duck
This Magicker
Ticklish Subject
The Tigers Were Taking A Bath
To The Fire-bearers Of Sagittarius
The Tongue-tied Poet To His Muse
True & False Unicorn: 1. Before The Arras
True & False Unicorn: 2. Horn And Hounds
True & False Unicorn: 3. Snare And Delusion
True & False Unicorn: 4. 'mon Seul Desir'
True & False Unicorn: A Tapestry Of Voices
Twin Flames
Uncle Nestor's Last Birthday Cake
Vehicles
A Visit From Three Muses
The Water Circle
The Wedding Of The Cat And The Canary
What Is A Zev?
What Is Burning In The Deep?
What Matters
The Wife Of Remarkable Sam
Windward Ho
Wondrous The Merge
Wrong Songs
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder® --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Black Sparrow Books; First edition. edition (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574230530
• ISBN-13: 978-1574230536
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,222,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Poetry for the zeroes, April 12, 2000

By 

George Schaefer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Packing Up for Paradise: Selected Poems 1946-1996 (Paperback)

This compilation covers an extraordinary 50 years of poetry from James Broughton. Unlike most poets of the twentieth century, Broughton actually writes rhymed poems. They work, too. He has a lyrical touch missing from most modern poetry. He also writes free verse. These poems are a celebration of life. Also being a filmmaker, Broughton is able to convey strong visuals in his verse. He celebrates sex and love and living life large. His playfullness with language is an absolute delight. This retrospect does an outstanding job of highlighting a long and brilliant career.