Yes, You Are a Revolutionary!: Plus Seven Other Books [Paperback]

Sparrow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 2002

Written over a period of several years, Yes, You Are a Revolutionary! is a collection of six works by the renowned street poet Sparrow. He reveals how to be a happy revolutionary, offers haunting poems on the underside of the class struggle, and includes tonal pieces celebrating adolescence. In addition to the title piece, the book includes “Dinosaur Haiku,” “Cooking with Ice,” “Marxist Rhythms,” “Jealous Cops,” and “Morning Poems.” “Over and above everything else, Sparrow offers something to believe in.” — The Village Voice

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sparrow's cult hero status was firmly cemented by Republican Like Me, his 1997 tale of his bid for the White House. Compiling a number of serial poems, this little red book brings together a diverse group of works that make the disruptive, utopian energy of the '60s seem perfectly contemporary. The title work provides, in 23 brief but comprehensive chapters, the steps to social upheaval, covering topics that range from selecting a "revolutionary pet" to a recipe for preparing "The People's Polenta." Other sections, such as "Jealous Cops," rely on an urban, universalizing wit that offhandedly acknowledges particularity: "The man next/ to me falls/ asleep,/ and his Greek/ newspaper hits/ the floor." The animating mystery throughout is at what points Sparrow is actually exhibiting wide-eyed naivete and during which portions his tongue is planted firmly in cheek. Thus Sparrow's voice successfully links the different projects within the larger volume. The child-like playing around of "Dinosaur Haiku" produces such delight as "a pteranodon/ lands on a/ bleisafosaur," taking pleasure in names-as-complicated-sounds. "Cheering the Sphinx" uses similar logic to send up contemporary jingoism perfectly; it reads in its entirety: "Hooray, Sphinx! Go, Sphinx!/ Come on, Sphinx! Yes, Sphinx!/ We're with you, Sphinx! Yay,/ Sphinx! Go, Sphinx, go!" Even the New Yorker has found Sparrow's enthusiasm contagious and published several poems (Sparrow helpfully chronicles the process in "Two Poems of Mine the New Yorker Published"); look for this pocket-sized volume to turn up in the back of SUVs as often as at Washington Mall protests.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Soft Skull Press (February 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887128875
• ISBN-13: 978-1887128872
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,353,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars brain-breaking and sublime, April 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Yes, You Are a Revolutionary!: Plus Seven Other Books (Paperback)

"There is laughter because there is nothing to laugh at. Laughter, whether conciliatory or terrible, always occurs when some fear passes. It indicates liberation either from physical danger or from the grip of logic."--Theodor Adorno

'Yes, You Are A Revolutionary!' is a marvellously effective and portable means of temporarily escaping from power long enough to maybe, just maybe, regain one's sanity. Apply pages directly to brain and massage in a slow, circular motion as necessary.

It also possesses marvellous healing and beautifying powers. From the American Dermatology Academy Review of Poetry: "'Yes, You Are A Revolutionary!' has been used for centuries by the Tahitian people as a natural therapeutic and beauty aid for it's ability to heal and regenarate the skin. It has been used successfully by many for the treatment of psoriasis, diabetic sores, eczema, age lines, rashes, and stretch marks making them look less unsightly. 'Yes, You Are A Revolutionary!' may be used on the face to soften wrinkles and lines. Apply book directly to affected areas to treat skin disorders or marks to help make them less visible."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure, February 22, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Yes, You Are a Revolutionary!: Plus Seven Other Books (Paperback)

I picked this book up in a local independent bookstore with a wry smile, thinking, "Oh boy, what could this possibly be?" I normally just skim books and then put them down or buy them--this one made me actually sit down and read the entire title "book" in the middle of the store. This wasn't terribly time-consuming, actually--it's not a very long book. But even had I read the entire volume cover to cover in the store, I would have still bought it.

The six books compiled into one here are teeming with mock naivete, subtle humor, and utter cheerful nonsense. Sparrow is like Shel Silversteen for grown-ups, and even preserves that childlike sense of wonder in his poetry. Physically, it is a small volume and can easily fit into your pocket, where I suggest keeping in at every single moment for the rest of your life, even while sleeping, because if the revolution comes at an inopportune moment, you need this book with you.