Poets and the Fools Who Love Them: A Memoir in Essays

Poets and the Fools Who Love Them is a memoir by Richard Katrovas that combines autobiography with cultural commentary and explores creative writing as a cottage industry in humanities higher education. It examines the relationship between crime and art, state authority education, and white privilege, and how Katrovas' search for surrogate fathers among older poets has affected his role as a father. The book contemplates the role of art and the artist in the twenty-first century.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 16 February 2022
Publisher: Louisiana State University Press

Poets and the Fools Who Love Them is a captivating blend of autobiography, cultural commentary, and thoughtful exploration of creative writing within the realm of humanities higher education. Renowned poet and memoirist Richard Katrovas delves into his picaresque early years, marked by a criminal father, a struggling mother, and four siblings as they were relentlessly pursued by state and federal authorities across the vast highways of America. Through his freewheeling and wide-ranging essays, Katrovas delves into profound societal constructs, examining the intricate relationship between crime and art, as well as its connection to the authority of the state, particularly in the context of race and class.

In a candid and introspective manner, Katrovas sheds light on how white privilege played a significant role in his father's criminal career, as a lifestyle of larceny and used-car scams traversed state boundaries, carrying different implications for a family of color. Drawing upon his experiences in academia, Katrovas' memoir unfolds in essays, chronicling his quest to find surrogate fathers among older poets and other creative writers. This introspective journey not only impacts his role as a father to his three Czech American daughters but also reflects upon the broader tapestry of artistic relationships and their profound impact on his life.

The book emanates from a deep love for poetry and the poetic community, likened to a close-knit gang of priests and a formidable herd of bears. Katrovas asserts that the majority of lovers of poets are themselves poets, while those who appreciate poetry but are not poets themselves are considered saints. At the core of Poets and the Fools Who Love Them, lies a profound contemplation on the role of art and the artist in the tumultuous twenty-first century. Through meticulous care and unwavering honesty, Katrovas invites readers to engage in a thoughtful exploration of the complexities and contradictions that shape our artistic landscape.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780807176634