Dunce

"Newly minted Vermont poet laureate Mary Ruefle is a devious nonsense-maker. Stanzas that shouldn’t be comprehensible are instead a delight. “Words have no thoughts / just as you have no / lice.” Ruefle, also known for her books of essays and erasure poetry, demonstrates offhand wit that gives levity to the desolate landscape she conjures: “Who won? I said. / The game’s tomorrow, he said.” Reading these poems is exhilarating, like careering down a rocky hill on a rusty bike. A wheel might pop off at any moment, and something horrible might happen. But it’s a heck of a ride."