Ship of Fool

Description:

This book consists primarily of poems about a character based on the fool archetype, which appears not only in silents and standups (e.g. Keaton, Pryor, Woody Allen) but also in tales running back to the beginning of storytelling. To borrow from Yiddish comedy, he is a combination of schlemiel and schlimazel. The difference is that the schlemiel is a bungler who's always accidentally breaking things and spilling stuff on people and the schlimazel is a sad sack who's always getting his things broken and getting stuff spilled on him. Trowbridge's Fool is both. He is often treated harshly, which seems to come simply from his being a fool. Most fool figures, though comic, are subjected to a great deal of violence. The very term "slapstick" derives from this.

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Reviews:

Green Mountains Review gives Ship of Fool high praise

Ship of Fool featured in New Letters Magazine

Sugar House Review loves William Trowbridge's Ship of Fool

The Hudson Review looks at Ship of Fool

News:

"Ship of Fool" featured on Verse Daily

Red Hen on the Radio: A Double Feature

Ship of Fool and Covet make Poetry Foundation's best sellers list!

Ship of Fool reviewed on Ron Slate's website

William Trowbridge Appointed State Poet Laureate of Missouri!

William Trowbridge wins a Pushcart Prize!

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