America: A Prophecy: The Sparrow Reader (Sparrow Reader (Soft Skull Press)) (Paperback)

~ Sparrow (Author)
Key Phrases: panorama viewing, lonely sails, bright blue weather, New York, Tiny Tim, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Famous for creating a stir in 1995 when he picketed The New Yorker holding a placard reading, "My poetry is as bad as yours" (the magazine subsequently published some of his poems) renowned poet and comedian Sparrow also challenged Bob Dole for the presidential nomination in 1996 and, remarkably, lost. America: A Prophecy is his follow-up, a hilarious look at a country in flux. This long-awaited collection of essays by the author of Yes, You ARE a Revolutionary! and Republican Like Me takes on culture, politics, and religion. From a hilarious spiritual guide to New York City — written after Sparrow tried meditating at a dozen landmarks — to the scientific and religious significance of the sky, Sparrow’s unique blend of wit and wisdom gives readers a whole new way of seeing our country at the crossroads.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Soft Skull Press (May 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932360867
• ISBN-13: 978-1932360868
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #255,993 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sparrow flies again, June 11, 2006

By	Carla Rozman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Witty, weird, intelligent essays abound in Sparrow's great homage to all things that interest him. From detailed sexual escapades ("My Sex with an Ant") to in-depth interviews with great political figures ("Interview with Saddam Hussein!!!!"), Sparrow's blunt, innocent, learned humor is refreshing, awakening, and pungent in my mind.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bouyant, May 5, 2006

By	R. Gillespie "robin" (NYC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a book to raise your spirits, consciousness and even body (if you follow the guidance in the bathtub section). Full of peculiar history, interviews with dead and living celebrities, and astute observations.

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, July 6, 2008

By	Anne "stratfordbooks" (Nevada) - See all my reviews

Very funny reading, but sometimes more than amusing. My favorite sections are "Bathifying and Other Virtues" & "Annals of Activism." The intermittent Proverbs are fun, too. Sometimes reading Sparrow is like the game where a person tells you three things and you have to guess which one of the three is True.

"Sometimes only a nightmare can wake you." (Proverbs, page 107)