This Afterlife

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A selection of sharp, witty, and impeccably crafted poems from A. E. Stallings, the award-winning poet and translator, brings together works from her four acclaimed collections: Archaic Smile, Hapax, Olives, and Like, along with a few outlier poems. Themes and characters recur, creating a complex interplay of harmony, dissonance, and counterpoint. The Underworld and Afterlife, along with ancient history and contemporary experiences, resonate throughout her work. Many poems unfold in the mytho-domestic sphere, seen through the perspectives of figures like Penelope or Pandora, as well as the poet or Alice in Wonderland. Stallings's later technical accomplishments reflect the richness of lived experiences, including marriage, motherhood, and life in another language and country, while also confronting aging and mortality. Her chosen home in Greece deepens her fascination with Greek mythology, as current events and ancient history intertwine in her poetry. Expert in traditional forms, Stallings also engages in restless experimentation with rhyme schemes, nonce stanzas, free verse, and metaphysical conceits. The fierce, witty, melancholy, and wise nature of these poems offers a timeless precision that transcends fleeting trends.