Poetic Healing is about a Vietnam Veteran's pain and the healing power of words. Basil B. Clark's sense of order was disrupted after an ambush in Vietnam that resulted in the constant ringing in the ears known as tinnitus. Clark had to accept such pain as the norm to help himself recover meaning and regain a sense of order. His plays and poems function as equipment for living and include dynamic conversations among imaginary family members, friends, and divine agents. Clark's plays and poems are supplemented by the critical commentary of Mark E. Huglen, who offers insight into the five phases of poetic healing. He draws upon the teachings of renowned scholar Kenneth Burke, particularly his terms for order, orientation, realms for words, and perspective by incongruity, bringing Burke closer to intrapersonal and interpersonal communication as well as to the study of suicide. Bernard Brock's Afterword describes how Clark manages to heal not just with his words and symbolism, but through them. Poetic Healing tells the story of the word's power to transform pain, loss, and even desperation into their counterparts, a poetic journey that will uplift and inspire.

Author: Mark E. Huglen, Basil B. Clark
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Parlor Press
Published: 11/07/2004
Pages: 320
Weight: 1.04lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.72d
ISBN: 9781932559538
Revised Edition


Review Citation(s):
Ingram Advance 04/01/2005 pg. 168