Losers

Class consciousness and contradictions percolate throughout Colin Pope’s third collection. Highly personal, these poems acknowledge the damage wrought on underprivileged populations while celebrating a working-class background. Dishwasher, delivery guy, ne’er-do-well, paper boy—the characters who populate this volume are caught within societally imposed definitions; infused with dignity, humanity, and compassion, Losers thumbs its nose at other folks’ labels. A celebration of postindustrial, rural America, this book is a paean to anyone thought undesirable and highlights the advantages (and disadvantages) imposed by geography, beauty, status, wealth, and opportunity.