Playlist for the Apocalypse: Poems

In her first collection of new poems in twelve years, Rita Dove explores the moral compass guiding the world's experiments in democracy, connecting history's grand exploits to the triumphs and tragedies of individual lives. Playlist for the Apocalypse is audaciously playful yet grave, alternating poignant meditations on mortality and acerbic observations of injustice.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 128 pages
Publication date: 28 April 2023
Publisher: WW Norton & Co

In her remarkable first volume of new poems in twelve years, Rita Dove delves deep into the intricate and ever-shifting moral landscape that shapes the world's democratic experiments. Whether she is capturing the first Jewish ghetto in sixteenth-century Venice or the powerful movement of Black Lives Matter, Dove's exceptional poetic voice seamlessly weaves together the grand narratives of history with the intimate stories of individual lives. From the simmering resentment of a lift operator to the exuberant mambo of an octogenarian, and from the wry humor of a philosophizing cricket, she reveals the profound connections between the triumphs and tragedies of human existence. With an audacious blend of playfulness and gravity, Dove's collection alternates poignant meditations on mortality with sharp observations of injustice. From the smallest moments of redemption to the catastrophic failures of the human soul, Playlist for the Apocalypse takes readers on a captivating journey through the complexities of our world. Through her masterful verse, Dove invites us to reflect on the moral choices that shape our collective destiny and to recognize the profound impact that individuals can have on the course of history.

Weight: 140g
Dimension: 209 x 157 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781324050438