Sometimes we don't know whether to laugh or to cry. That quandary has been especially poignant during the rise of Donald Trump. The great French essayist Michel de Montaigne wrote that two philosophers in ancient Greece were divided on this question. Finding the human condition so ridiculous, Democritus never stepped out of his door without a mocking laugh, while Heraclitus, full of compassion for the state of humanity, was always weeping. Montaigne wrote that he prefers laughter, not because it is more pleasant than crying but because it shows more disdain. That is the essence of these poetic invectives, written from a decidedly Democratic point of view, in both senses. The author does not claim they are genuine poetry and would not be unhappy if they came across as doggerel. For as one reader pointed out, doggerel is what these people deserve. On the other hand, that form is usually defined as comic verse with irregular rhythm, but the rhythm of these poetic invectives is actually perfectly regular, even if the rhymes are at times outlandish. These poems are meant to be read aloud. Each is based on an actual news story, and the political ones are arranged as written, in chronological order. They form a kind of history of the American political scene from September 2015 through August 2016. All 50 states are represented, though some more often than others, as they seem for some reason to attract more ridiculous goings-on. Tennessee and Texas come to mind. There are 156 of these humorous poems in all, of which 48 are devoted to--or rather, attack--Donald Trump. But the rest of the Republican clown car take their lumps as well. Other battles are waged with regard to Islamophobia, weakened educational standards, and the NRA. Readers of a certain political stripe will enjoy seeing their prejudices entertained; those of another may throw the book across the room in disgust. Countless family Thanksgiving dinners will be enlivened by nephews and nieces quoting it to enrage their right-wing uncles. But perhaps they can reconcile over the nearly one-third of those that are nonpartisan, including the definitive case against Daylight Saving Time, a crossword puzzle scandal, people who think solar panels deplete the sun, greased pigs on ice that weren't, dogs driving to Walmart, the Hedy Lamarr commemorative stamp, a runaway blimp, the wandering emu that closed a school district, legislators caught canoodling, and the misadventures of Oregon Bundy Brigade.
About the Author: Randy Runyon's involvement in presidential politics began in 1964, when he put a BURY GOLDWATER bumper sticker on his briefcase but everyone in high school thought it meant he was a Republican. He has voted Democratic in every election since, and hopes that this time his political humor will find a more perceptive audience. His book La Fontaine's Complete Fables in Modern Verse has been praised as a "wonderful and delightful translation of the famous tales. Runyon makes rhyming translation sound effortless. Lots of fun to read." In a totally different vein, his Delia Webster and Underground Railroad tells the remarkable life of the first white woman to be imprisoned for helping slaves escape. Critics have said "This Victorian melodrama reads like a detective story. . . fascinating and poignant"; a "captivating tale of a petticoat abolitionist . . . a riveting story" with "all the elements of adventure, romance, and intrigue." His other books explore the hidden structures of works by Montaigne, La Fontaine, Montesquieu, Baudelaire, Robert Penn Warren, and Raymond Carver. After retiring from teaching French at Miami University, he maintains an active musical career as an exponent of American popular keyboard styles from ragtime to cocktail piano. Several of his organ compositions have been published by Evensong: Music, Media and Graphics (http: //www.evensongmusic.net/runyonorgan.html), and have been recorded by other artists on YouTube.