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The Luckless Age
Steve Kistulentz’s The Luckless Age stands at the end of the nuclear era, bridging the Cold War’s age of anxiety and the false hope of “morning in America.” It’s a landscape populated by the forgotten and marginalized, reported from the mosh pit and the boardroom, the bedroom and the bar. Its voice emerges above the white noise of modern broadcasting to paint a portrait of America at once brutal, honest, and yet hopeful at its core.
- GenresPoetry
80 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
16 people want to read
About the author
Steve Kistulentz
6 books37 followersSteve Kistulentz is the author of the novel PANORAMA, (2018, Little, Brown & Co). PANORAMA was named a must-read by The New York Post and Entertainment Weekly.
He has also published two collections of poetry, Little Black Daydream (2012) and The Luckless Age (2010).
Kistulentz was born in Washington, DC. He earned a BA in English from the College of William and Mary, an MA from the Johns Hopkins University, an MFA from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, and a PhD from the Florida State University.
His narrative nonfiction—mostly on the subject of popular culture—has appeared widely in journals.
Prior to writing, he spent nearly 20 years in national politics in Washington DC, directing political strategy for corporations mostly in the transportation and infrastructure areas.
Kistulentz’s poems work against the pervasive influence of nostalgia, occupying the space between histories; they often focus on what Yeats called “counter-truth,” the gap between the commonplace understanding of an event and its more nuanced or even imagined reinterpretation. Mike Krutel, writing in the American Book Review, compared the “lived-in landscapes” of The Luckless Age’s poems to John Berryman’s dream songs.
Kistulentz's honors include the Benjamin Saltman Award for The Luckless Age, as well as fellowship support from Writers at Work, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and an individual award from the Mississippi Arts Commission. He has taught at the Johns Hopkins University; the University of Iowa, where he was the Joseph and Ursil Callan Scholar; and the Florida State University, where he was an Edward and Marie C. Kingsbury Fellow for Excellence in Thought. He directs the graduate creative writing program at Saint Leo University in Florida.
He has also published two collections of poetry, Little Black Daydream (2012) and The Luckless Age (2010).
Kistulentz was born in Washington, DC. He earned a BA in English from the College of William and Mary, an MA from the Johns Hopkins University, an MFA from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, and a PhD from the Florida State University.
His narrative nonfiction—mostly on the subject of popular culture—has appeared widely in journals.
Prior to writing, he spent nearly 20 years in national politics in Washington DC, directing political strategy for corporations mostly in the transportation and infrastructure areas.
Kistulentz’s poems work against the pervasive influence of nostalgia, occupying the space between histories; they often focus on what Yeats called “counter-truth,” the gap between the commonplace understanding of an event and its more nuanced or even imagined reinterpretation. Mike Krutel, writing in the American Book Review, compared the “lived-in landscapes” of The Luckless Age’s poems to John Berryman’s dream songs.
Kistulentz's honors include the Benjamin Saltman Award for The Luckless Age, as well as fellowship support from Writers at Work, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and an individual award from the Mississippi Arts Commission. He has taught at the Johns Hopkins University; the University of Iowa, where he was the Joseph and Ursil Callan Scholar; and the Florida State University, where he was an Edward and Marie C. Kingsbury Fellow for Excellence in Thought. He directs the graduate creative writing program at Saint Leo University in Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 23, 2011
Sly and provocative, THE LUCKLESS AGE is a terrific, highly readable collection of poems. Part meta-analysis, part mash-up of post-Reagan America, the author fearlessly explores themes of loss and redemption evoking such cultural touchstones as David Lee Roth, The Knack, Evel Knievel, M*A*S*H, and the Revelation of St. John the Divine.
You'll find yourself laughing out loud over some lines; deeply moved by others. And how could you not love a poem that suggests a second act for Rick Springfield and Jessie's girl?
You'll find yourself laughing out loud over some lines; deeply moved by others. And how could you not love a poem that suggests a second act for Rick Springfield and Jessie's girl?
October 10, 2023
I wanted to enjoy this poetry book, but sometimes it felt heavy handed.
August 19, 2015
A frenetic, lyrical, rock-scored whirl through the joys and mistakes of youth.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews