My Surly Heart

<p>In <em>My Surly Heart</em> the prolific poet and novelist David Huddle reflects on turning seventy-six years of age and records his aghast reactions to changes brought about by the current president of the United States. Huddle avoids the pitfalls of speechifying pseudo-philosophizing or indulging in unmitigated complaint. Instead he embraces the potential of poetry to use intelligence wit language knowledge and sense of form to move toward useful revelations. Throughout this idiosyncratic collection of verse Huddle deploys poem making as a method for psychologically and spiritually navigating from his past to his present life and on into whatever his future may hold. These poems traverse childhood memories birding adventures musical reveries the role of art and many points in between. <em>My Surly Heart </em>shows a celebrated poet confronting the challenges of age and country with wry humor and unsparing honesty.</p>