Skip to content

Pain-Proof Men
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Pain-Proof Men Paperback - 2009

by John Wall Barger


From the publisher

The title is a literal translation of the Arabic word fakir, which refers to both a Sufi holy man who performs feats of endurance or magic, and a common street beggar who chants the scriptures. In the world of carnivals, a fakir or torture king would go to great lengths to demonstrate his immunity to pain -- by, for example, lying on a bed of spikes and then asking an audience member to break a concrete block on his chest with a sledgehammer. The voice that emerges in Pain-Proof Men is that of a derelict who sings the names of God during the day, and moonlights at a circus as a human pincushion at night. The various personas in these poems (all manner of tricksters -- from scarecrows, clowns, sailors, John Wayne, Clark Gable, to the confessional poet himself) are men in pain. All, however mythic and powerful, have failed at love and work and life, and feel an overwhelming ache. This human hurt, that connects us all, links the many voices in this multifarious, ludic book.

Details

  • Title Pain-Proof Men
  • Author John Wall Barger
  • Binding Paperback
  • Pages 96
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Palimpsest Press
  • Date 2009-09
  • ISBN 9780978491772 / 0978491777
  • Weight 0.33 lbs (0.15 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 in (21.59 x 13.97 x 1.02 cm)
  • Dewey Decimal Code 811.6

About the author

John Wall Barger is the author of three previous books of poetry: Pain-proof Men (2009), Hummingbird (2011), and The Book Of Festus (2015), which was a finalist for the 2016 JM Abraham Poetry Award. His work has appeared in journals such as American Poetry Review, The Cincinnati Review, Poetry Ireland Review, Rattle, and the Best of the Best Canadian Poetry. In 2017, Barger's poem Smog Mother was co-winner of The Malahat Review's Long Poem Prize. He is currently an editor for Painted Bride Quarterly.
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

Pain-Proof Men
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Pain-Proof Men

by John Wall Barger

  • Used
  • very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - VERY GOOD
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780978491772 / 0978491777
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Aurora, Ontario, Canada
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£17.10
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Palimpsest Press, 2009. Paperback. VERY GOOD. Slight bump to lower corner of spine. 88 pages. -- Please feel free to ask for additional information, or detailed photos. US orders ship USPS from Niagara Falls, NY. Canadian orders ship from Ontario.
Item Price
£17.10
FREE shipping to USA
Pain-Proof Men
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Pain-Proof Men

by John Wall Barger

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780978491772 / 0978491777
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£24.39
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Palimpsest Press, 2009-09. Paperback. Good.
Item Price
£24.39
FREE shipping to USA