Reading, P: Ukelele Music ; Perduta Gente

This double volume of poems is the first U.S. publication of one of the most important and exciting contemporary English poets. "Ukulele Music" is a narrative of violence that ranges from urban London to Patagonia, and his philosophically serious treatment of victim and witness, culture and event, is unparalleled among contemporary writers. "Perduta Gente" is an intense depiction of the pathos and ironies of urban frenzy, squalor, money, and power, complete with a variety of visual textures--newspaper clippings, handwritten notebook entries, typed memos, and a scientific table.