Thus Spake the Corpse: An Exquisite Corpse Reader 1988-98: Vol 2, Fictions. Travels & Translations

by Andrei Codrescu (editor), Laura Rosenthal (editor)

In its day, Andrei Codrescu's controversial and notorious anti-literary literary magazine Exquisite Corpse was a primary source rebellion, passion and black humor. Calculated to assault, shock, intrigue and reflect our anxious millennium fill the pages of this Corpse reader. A heady invitation to enjoy one's intellectual freedom while it lasts, the volume inscribes central (and edgy) poetic controversies, eulogizes and condemns, realizes and surrealizes, translates and travels across space and time to place us in all those wild worlds visited by the bizarre legion of Corpse correspondents.

Genres: Short Stories

450 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Andrei Codrescu is a poet, novelist, essayist, and NPR commentator. His many books include Whatever Gets You through the Night, The Postmodern Dada Guide, and The Poetry Lesson. He was Mac Curdy Distinguished Professor of English at Louisiana State University from 1984 until his retirement in 2009.

Reviews

[Brenda Conry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was unfamiliar with the Exquisite Corpse publication, so I didn't know what to expect. Now maybe I do. I pulled this off a library shelf when I was looking for a break from novels. The writing itself is first rate, but the topics were not my usual fare. I have read a lot of first person narrative, and biographies, but not with the hedonistic bent of many of these. I can't tell if the writers enjoyed their miserable lives, or just enjoyed writing about them. But this is why I read--so I can experience things vicariously that I would never or dream or dare myself.
I'm generalizing. Not all of it was like this. There was some poetry I enjoyed, and hearing about life in the literary set. I would say read this at your own discretion. If you are easily offended or embarrassed, maybe avoid it. Or maybe try a copy of the journal first?