Description
The Humours of Nothingness by Gerry Murphy
From the opening poem in which he recognises himself “raving blessedly/ between truth and delusion”, to the closing poem’s return to “something new and strange: / yourself, again”, in his latest book Cork’s uncrowned poet Gerry Murphy laureate explores, confronts, ventriloquizes, indulges and, at every available opportunity, undermines the very notion of the self engaged in a writing life – even as he takes on the duties of that calling with total committment.
At once hilarious and melancholy, earnest and throwaway, the poems in The Humours of Nothingness take nothing for granted – least of all the power of humour in the entirely serious business of staying sane.
Murphy’s hilarious existential angst seems more relevant than ever during lockdown.
—Martina Evans, The Irish Times“[A] thrilling and provocative master of poetic monologue and social commentary.”
— Thomas McCarthy“[O]ne of the finer love poets writing today.”
— Dean Browne
