In this suite of dramatic monologues, David Denny reimagines the ancient folktale of Jonah by listening to the voices of its many characters. Jonah and God, of course, remain the two principal players, to be sure. But in Man Overboard we also hear from the sailors of the Tarshish-bound cargo carrier, the storm that overtakes them, the great fish who gives sanctuary to the irascible prophet, indeed the ocean itself, as well as the merchants, courtiers, plants, animals, and king of Nineveh. Drawing upon a close reading of the biblical text, the Jewish tradition of Midrash, and a healthy dose of playful imagination, Denny draws the reader into the story’s emotional journey. His poems evoke the concrete reality of the landscape and culture of the historical Near East, while highlighting the central spiritual lessons the tale continues to convey in the postmodern world. The result is a lyric rendition of a classic tale that will appeal to general readers as well as biblical scholars and literary aficionados.
Over de auteur
Luci Shaw is a widely published poet, essayist and speaker. Born in England in 1928 she and her husband, Harold Shaw, established Shaw Publishers in 1971 and published books by authors such as Madeleine L’Engle, James I Packer, and George Carey. She is author of thirty-five books, the most recent being Scape and Adventure of Ascent. In 2013 she received the 10th annual Denise Levertov award for Creative Writing. She lives in Bellingham, WA with her husband, John Hoyte.