THe End (2000)
48pp., 5 x 8 in.
Order at Ugly Duckling Presse or Asterism
“The End is part of a growing body of literature on the workshop and the MFA as political and aesthetic formations in their own right; it sits alongside longer studies like Mark McGurl’s The Program Era and Eric Bennett’s Workshops of Empire.”—Toby Altman, The Georgia Review
“The End begins with the end of Rilke’s ‘Archaic Torso of Apollo’ (‘You must change your life’) to explore epiphanies (literature’s ‘money shot’), understanding and teaching poetry, the economy (literal and metaphoric) of poetics, and what it means for a poem to end. Clear, persuasive, and engaging, this essay—implicitly on ethics—will appeal to those who read, think about, teach, and/or write poetry.”—Tom Bowden, The Book Beat
“This small yet rewarding tour de force takes the reader through such topics as long vs. forms in poetry; the cathartic and disruptive aspects of teaching poetry […]. Ultimately, Machado’s sharp and spirited prose will show readers that the end of reading, like the end of poetry, is that there is no end.”—Graziano Krätli, Rain Taxi
“[A] remarkable essay, and one that rewards repeated readings”—rob mcclennan
“Brilliant.”—Eileen Tabios