Peter Finch's collection, Useful, is marked by all the restless
energy, humour and angst that is so characteristic of this compulsively
entertaining poet.
Among the varied subjects to come under the poet's subversive scrutiny
are Modern Art, the Blues, computers, automobiles, ex-wives,
recalcitrant children, aged parents, bleak Welsh landscapes, factory
workers, writing classes, old shirts and beach stones. His continuing
fascination with technique is highlighted in the second half of the
collection which includes a short section of visual pieces as well as
the elaborate code of 'One of Our Presidents: Six Variations for Tony
Conran'.
Also here are poems written for particular performances or directly
inspired by works of art. A tireless innovator, an astute and frequently
very funny observer of culture and society, Peter Finch will win yet
more readers over with Useful.
"Just this side of chaos"
Jon Gower
"A defiant individualist, restlessly pushing words beyond their given
forms and meanings to say new things in new ways about our complicated
knife-edge times"
Western Mail
"... deserves a Welsh Knighthood"
Dictionary of the Avant-Gardes
Peter Finch is a poet, author and critic who lives in Cardiff. He is
author of the hugely popular Seren titles Real Cardiff and Real
Cardiff Two. His numerous poetry titles include Useful, Poems for
Ghosts and Food from Seren, Antibodies from Stride, and Vizet, a
selected poems in Hungarian from Kronkét Könyvek. A former publisher and
bookseller, he is now Chief Executive of the Welsh Academy, the Welsh
Literature Promotion Agency and Society of Writers.
