Execute the Office: Essays with Presidents

Execute the Office is a collection of essays that explore the humanity of American presidents, using lyric prose and formal invention to balance factual accuracy with lyricism and experimental forms. It uses constraint, metaphor, allusion, and epiphany to explore the connections between facts and human nature, discussing how we remember through death songs, footnotes, infinite rooms, evacuation routes, and nomenclatures. The essays also contain histories in and of unusual objects, which become distinct, unforgettable, profound, and human.

Format: Paperback / softback
Publication date: 09 February 2021
Publisher: Cameron & Company Inc

Colin Rafferty's Execute the Office delves into the depths of human nature, examining the essence of forty-five American presidents through a blend of lyric prose and formal invention. Whether these powerful individuals were celebrated for their infamous deeds and heroism or forgotten as mere footnotes in American history, the book seeks to challenge the conventional portrayal of presidents as mere facts.

Execute the Office employs a unique approach to balance factual accuracy with lyricism and experimental forms. It employs various literary devices such as constraint, metaphor, allusion, and epiphany to explore not only the facts and artifacts of history but also the intricate connections between those facts and human nature. Through essays that engage with history from fresh perspectives, the book discusses the modes in which we remember, including death songs, footnotes, infinite rooms, evacuation routes, and nomenclatures.

What sets Execute the Office apart is its ability to transform ordinary objects into profound and unforgettable narratives. While initially unfamiliar, these objects soon reveal themselves as distinct, unforgettable, and profoundly human. Rafferty's skillful writing brings these objects to life, allowing readers to see history through a new lens and gain a deeper understanding of the human experience.

In conclusion, Colin Rafferty's Execute the Office is a masterpiece that challenges the conventional portrayal of American presidents. Through its blend of lyric prose, formal invention, and innovative literary devices, the book explores the humanity, or lack thereof, that thrived in each of the forty-five American presidents. By transforming ordinary objects into profound narratives, it offers readers a fresh perspective on history and a deeper understanding of the human condition.

Dimension: 203 x 135 x 6 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781936097326