World on Fire - Softcover

Brownstein, Michael

3.93

14 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1890447293 ISBN 13: 9781890447298

Publisher: Grove Press, Open City Books, 2002

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In our era of apocalyptic change, everything from terrorism to a stifling cultural sameness has become globalized. World on Fire is a poet's impassioned, prophetic examination of the human and environmental consequences of transnational capitalism. From the most recent developments in biotechnology to the brainwashing effects of mass media, from the addictive rush of global currency speculation to the rapid-fire annihilation of tropical forests for chopsticks and oil, World on Fire is unsparing in its exposure of the corruption of our contemporary empire, or "Pax Americana." It suggests, paradoxically, that in this much-heralded "Age of Information," the dominant paradigms are disconnection and amnesia. The death of the author's tyrannical father after years of suffering from Alzheimer's becomes a potent symbol for a culture unable to face its own crimes or reckon with its own history. Drawing on sources including Noam Chomsky, Eduardo Galeano, and Vandana Shiva, Brownstein has created a new form combining poetry, personal narrative, and social analysis. He incites readers to look past a standardized remote-control world order and reconsider non-Western, more holistic social models. An anthem, manifesto, and call to arms, World on Fire asks the reader to step outside of ego's bomb shelter and face world upheaval without fear, thereby transforming disaster into opportunity and allowing the space for the creation of a new life. This is a stunning and timely work from a writer who "combines an acute understanding of the human soul with a bold, poetic imagination" (Paul Auster on Brownstein's story collection Music from the Evening of the World).

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From the Inside Flap:

�Michael Brownstein has written an epic, visionary, kaleidoscopic treatise/poem that, amazingly, attempts to make sense of and show a way through the rich madness of our time. The work is entirely unique, for the scope and audacity of the effort, and the beauty in its delivery. Partly wail of pain, partly an ode to nature and the human spirit, partly a last-ditch effort to consciously click back to a sustainable pathway, this book will leave the reader simultaneously exhausted, enlightened, depressed, and exhilarated. I strongly recommend it.� �Jerry Mander, Author, In the Absence of the Sacred, and President, International Forum on Globalization

About the Author:

Michael Brownstein is the author of three novels, Country Cousins, Self-Reliance, and The Touch, as well as several collections of stories and poetry.

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