Plausible Wrong Answers

by Tyler B. Perry

Anyone who has been through school in the past half-century has experienced poetry in the form of the multiple-choice reading comprehension test. Tyler Perry’s latest collection engages in dialogic, deconstructive play with this familiar format, using his own invented form to explore themes of fear, family, poetry analysis, and the educational experience. These poems involve us in playful readings of text that bring the cult of assessment and reductive poetry analysis into question while deepening our engagement with language, imagery, meaning, and form. Author Tyler B. Perry is a Calgary poet and high school English teacher. He is one of the organizers of Can You Hear Me Now?, the Alberta provincial junior high and high school poetry slam, and has performed his poetry to audiences across Canada and as far away as Japan. He is the author of two previous collections of Lessons in Falling (B House Publications, 2010) and Belly Full of Rocks (Oolichan Books, 2016). He holds a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. Illustrator Anna Navarro is a Calgary illustrator and poet. She works at the intersection of visual art and language and enjoys experimenting with mixed media. She studies English at the University of Calgary and is an editor at NōD Magazine.

Genres: Poetry, Canada

112 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Ellen McClure · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work of poetry is truly a marvel. There is something about this poetry that can touch the soul of human beings, regardless of experience. While reading, I constantly found myself looking back into my own memories, remembering the times and events that have brought to where I am now and savouring the truth expressed on the paper. Blending seamlessly the patterns of exam writing and the beautiful, invoking images by Anna Navarro, Plausible Wrong Answers seeks and succeeds to bring people comfort and rapturous deep thought into the reader's mind. A welcomed addition to anyone's poetry collection. And a welcomed addition for anyone searching for something they didn't know that they needed.

[Sophie Kimber · Rating 5 out of 5]

INCREDIBLE. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wether you’re well-versed in poetry or just getting into it, because the range, beauty, and quality of this book is unmatched and rivals all of my other favourite poetry collections.

Tyler Perry perfectly captures the nuance of the high school English program and I loved the witty responses to the poems, the different styles he used to present his ideas, and the lovely descriptions of his home life and his city.

As someone who lives and goes to high school in said city, I loved the references and the clear images I got from his descriptions of our hometown. This book is beautiful and well throughout out, well written and well-worth the read. Thank you, Tyler Perry! I wish I had an English teacher like you.

[Joan Shillington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plausible Wrong Answers by Tyler Perry is a book of multiple-choice poems that explode on the page, these poems capture language at its most exciting and the art of teaching at its most creative. They are, a breath of fresh air, the “thrum of wings beating at the glass” of our imagination. I began “hovering” in the “haze between the dreamt and the real” in Plausible Wrong Answers, exploring new dimensions. It is a book that spans generations, that “leaches pores, expands, multiplies bacterial in your gut, thrives in living cultures that grow new vats of poem, new strains of language.” An exciting book that compelled me to read in one sitting, I will return to this book often.

[Adam Volk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love letter to the English language, “Plausible Wrong Answers” is an accessible and uniquely inspiring book that will undoubtedly appeal to both poetry aficionados and readers who simply appreciate the written word. Combining beautiful and evocative language with unique themes (and a clever addition of real world high school exam questions), the book is both entertaining and enlightening. The breathtaking accompanying interior art work also adds to this striking collection. A joy to read and a flawless piece of lyrical beauty from a true master craftsman.