The Clean Shirt of It

Signed copies available in limited supply

The Clean Shirt of It marks the first English translation of a full-length poetry title by acclaimed Brazilian poet Paulo Henriques Britto. This is a bilingual edition published in English and Portuguese. As translator Idra Novey writes in her translator's introduction, "No other contemporary Brazilian poets write like Britto. At least not with such a keen sense of the relationship between form and content, or pop culture and high art. However, the artistry of Britto's poems is that a reader doesn't have to recognize the allusions to appreciate the freshness of the imagery and layered meanings suggested in the poems." Britto's subtle use of political allegories written with a thoroughly contemporary poetic voice contributes greatly to the discussion of the role of poetry in politics. He is steeped in Brazilian politics, history, and literature, but also fluent in the language of American history and culture. Thus, his masterful poem "Nine Variations on a Theme of Jim Morrison" presents a uniquely Latin American take on an American pop icon. BOA Editions is proud to introduce American readers to the powerful poetry of Paulo Henriques Britto. "Britto is deeply aware of and involved in the poetics and politics of his country but, as is expressed through his poetry, lives in the shifting, indefinable cultural space that often produces the most felt and honest poetry...His poems manage to be extremely contemporary and timeless, political, yet not rhetorical or nationalistic."--American Poet

Snake Charmer

Between the unsuspecting lines of story,
an insidious idea insinuates itself,

as to suggest another text,
more alive, radical, and honest,

about a slender, venomous truth
beneath the thickly covered paper

and almost impenetrable now--
                                        fortunately,

a final recourse remains:
to stop, turn back. Make common paper

of palimpsest. Now continue,
pick up the sweet flute of literature.

© BOA Editions, Ltd 2007

Available editions:
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Cloth ISBN: 978-1-929918-93-5
Price: $22.95
Publishing Date: July 2007
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-929918-94-2
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: July 2007