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From an aging body's slow disintegration to the deconstruction of the alphabet, McHugh's expansive collection challenges our roles within society.
About the author
Heather McHugh, recipient of a 2009 MacArthur Fellowship, is the author of fourteen books of original and translated poetry. Her prize-winning translations include a Griffin International Poetry Prize and her volumes have been finalists for both the Pulitzer and the National Book Award. McHugh has taught writing for over three decades, most of which has been at the University of Washington in Seattle. She served as Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, and in 2000 she was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Since her retirement from the University of Washington, McHugh has served as founder and director of CAREGIFTED, a non-profit organization that supports the caregivers of disabled or chronically ill family members.
Summary
Heather McHugh’s first book in a decade, Muddy Matterhorn, reclaims the mix of high and low that is her sensibility’s signature, in matters practical and philosophical, semantic and stylistic, mortal and transitory, amorous and political, hilarious and heartbreaking. With fierce attacks on technology and social structures, McHugh finds a way to enjoy and empathize with humanity on her own terms. Ever the outsider, McHugh combines a strong sense of self with a determination to love people and the worlds they build without losing her biting criticism or witty rejection of societal norms and expectations. She is both pragmatic and theorizing, esoteric and identifiable. The joy and anger in these poems join to form an empowered and impassioned declaration of self in a chaotic time.
Foreword
Co-op available, galleys available, online/social media campaign
