Apocalypso

by Evelyn Reilly

Poetry. "Evelyn Reilly's APOCALYPSO floats a cobbled kind of futurist voyage that moves by belief and uncovered loss to quickly deliver an overwhelming sensation (allegory) that as in Tarkovsky's Solaris we are on this journey too and have no hope (and want none) of getting off it. Turning these pages we discover that the museum of the future is a ship and Evelyn Reilly is scribbling our fate."—Eileen Myles

"Who, if I cried out, would hear me amid the mechanic orders? Well, if you listen closely, faint yet clear signals are being emitted from Evelyn Reilly's APOCALYPSO wherein fragments of information technologies now dispersed in the ether create haunting assemblages of ourselves. Fascinating!"—Marjorie Welish

Genres: Poetry

111 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2012

Reviews

[Ross Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

081120: rtc bc i think i need to read this again very soon but for now i will say. god damn

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can we talk about the deep understanding of how technology works in our lives that brings this book to real life with such strength? There's three parts (if I remember correctly), each distinct but bringing together a narrative of a world lived outside and beyond the present--in an apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic world, perhaps even off-planet. The fusion of Childe Harold and Harold and the Purple Crayon were a touch that brought continued life, youth and humor to an otherwise potentially overbearing writing style the was at times hard to piece together, at least until you understood the idiosyncratic way of using language the author has. Overall an amazing piece of speculative poetry, and utterly superb reading material. A good source for anyone wanting to know what it takes to survive the end of the world--Adaptation.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evelyn Reilly is an absurdly underappreciated poet. This book is a knock-out. (I wrote a review for the Poetry Project Newsletter for those who can tolerate my response at greater length.) As the title suggests, Reilly is considering a vision of the end times (as reflected in vast bureaucratization and ecological disaster). What remains a revelation for me about this book is the way Reilly handles this content. There is real elegy here, but also sharp humor. As though the laughter of the bereft is a viable survival strategy. She's got me convinced.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title poem specifically recommended.