9With tragicomic bravado and psychological insight, this collection paints a turbulent portrait of a father and his family, creating a poetic sequence that has the scope of a novel and stretches the sense of what is possible in poetry. Each poem is presented as an improvisation on the theme of the father, forming a picture of a family held hostage by the mood swings and histrionics of this patriarch. Combining intense speed and surprise with moments of sudden slowness, this compilation has the flavor and intensity of a modern classic.