Almanac of Useless Talents

<p dir=ltr><b>Fence</b><b> poetry editor and rising star Michael Chang's Almanac of Useless Talents is a must-read for poetry lovers and newbies alike. </b></p><p dir=ltr>This is a useless Almanac. There’s no seasonal data only poems good for leaving the club in haute couture with mid-level poets for ambiguous sex mouthy seductions shoulder-turns of cold cock disrespect.</p><p dir=ltr><span>Part confessional part experimental and completely original Chang is a poet read in classrooms and on phone screens with equal fervor. Each poem deftly deforms self into outrageous performance. This poetry snaps and twists so fast you’ll miss things: the intricate formal craft the bitchy wordplay. A dopamine rush delving into desire’s throbbing networks of flesh and circuit identity relationships Aznness queerdom and more that would arouse Ashbery envy Chang’s playful style is edgy surprising and delightful. In Chang’s world sentiment is déeacute;cor: come face the amusing ever-ache of our desires or go ahead and try to outrun them.</span></p>