Otter

(Paperback)

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His body, like yours, would lie
mute as a plum
until a vigilant limb came
to a decision. As you might have guessed
Ive come to one myself.

Moving from the absurdity of the First World War to the chaos of todays cities, where men share beds, bottles of ouzo and shade from willow trees, these poems ask questions: If your lover speaks in his sleep, how do you know you is you What good is it to decorate a headstone What if you think of the perfect comeback to a six-year-old argument Otter fails, with style, to find answers.

Ladouceur writes with an awareness of queer history, documenting it faithfully, but with his own twist This is poetry motivated by an honest wit.
John Barton, Arc Poetry Magazine

Ben Ladouceur is a writer originally from Ottawa, now based in Toronto. His work has been featured in Arc, The Malahat Review, PRISM international and The Walrus, and in the Best Canadian Poetry anthology. He was awarded the Earle Birney Poetry Prize in 2013.

Reviews

'Formally impeccable and richly imagined, Ben Ladouceur's poems track the awe of a mind as it engages with epiphanal moments, both private and historical. His language is filtered through an intelligence that's queer and graceful, always in search of the singular phrase and a music that startles with its precision. As each poem unfurls, keen insight gives way to the wonder of words. Otter is a magnificent debut.' - Eduardo C. Corral, author of Slow Lightning, winner of the Yale Younger Poets Prize

Author Bio

Ben Ladouceur is a writer originally from Ottawa, now based in Toronto. His work has been featured in Arc, The Malahat Review, PRISM international and The Walrus, and in the Best Canadian Poetry anthology. He was awarded the Earle Birney Poetry Prize in 2013.