No way : an American Tao Te Cing / David Romtvedt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Romtvedt, David, author.

Language:

English

Genre:

Poetry.

Physical Description:

xi, 88 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Baton Rouge : Louisiana State University Press, [2021]

Summary:

"In "No Way: An American Tao Te Ching," David Romtvedt explores the art of living in the fast-paced, dangerous, unpredictable contemporary world. Lucid and wise in the spirit of its ancient Chinese predecessor, "No Way" functions as a kind of offbeat-yet-deadly-serious manual on the conduct of life. This slightly tongue-in-cheek take on the Tao's advice acknowledges that nobody likes being told how to live, least of all the author himself. With an openness to complexity and mystery, in tones that range from cool to fiercely passionate, "No Way" brings the Tao into the social turmoil of a twenty-first-century United States beset by political strife, mass shootings, and financial greed. Romtvedt combats cynicism and malaise with wry verse that positions itself in the role of the trickster. The voice of these poems can be serious and contradictory, yet also humorous and welcoming. By suggesting that the days of the ancient Tao are gone for good, "No Way" offers readers an invitation to guide themselves forward, free of sages and rulers"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: The Names

Unnamed

The Master and the Waitress

The Well

Remembering the Wedding

Rubble

Born

At the Creek

Sonetto Preoccupato

One, Two, Three, Four

Comparative Religion

Vision

Lion on a Cheese Grater

Drink

Spiritual Mathematics

Empty Mind

Weather

Understanding Childhood

Fewer Jews

Five, Six, Seven, Eight

At the Dermatologist's

Political Action

Inner Life

Making an Effort

Something Formless and Perfect

The Conservation of Matter and Energy

Early Snow

Oh, Boy

Making a Living

The Day God Made Wasps

Second Thoughts

Ping-Pong

Butterfly

Carpentry

Exam

Withering Away

Working

The Barking Dog

The Singing

Privacy

The President, the Tao, the Day

The Train

Action

We Wanted to Know

Dress for Success

Anything but Music

The Army

Sitting

Keys

The Moon in the Middle of the Day

Playing with Words

Reborn

The Road

At the Beginning of the Universe

American History

Making Ends Meet

Framing

Invitation

Chickadees

Eating Fish

Roses

Center of the Universe

Not Me

Shutting Up

Hungry

Undertow

Teaching

Insurance Premium

Pawns

Urine

No Lie

Manifesto

The Net

The Nail

Extinct

The Ski Poles

Politics Up to Date

A Prayer

Success

Hunting

Poor People.

Other Format:

Online version: Romtvedt, David, No way

ISBN:

9780807173992

0807173991

OCLC:

1164819947