guys named Bill
guys named Bill traces a journey from childhood to adulthood, through a marriage and beyond. The various characters named Bill are a thread running throughout the book, appearing as turning points in the narrator’s life. Ranging from darkly cynical to intimate, to humorous and blunt, the poems are ultimately optimistic, as the resilient narrator creates a new life from the remnants of the old.
Samples
guys named Bill
Rian and I step off the plane breathing yellow hibiscus tossing alohas to smiling swarthy men they drape us with leis kiss us on the cheek I’m here to recover from Bill shake myself clean at last two weeks in which to re-enter the world prepare myself for the man who waits to buy me dinner on our return I did send Bill a postcard from San Francisco airport – something about a man in a dress I don’t know – it was a layover we were sleep deprived and a little drunk everyone in Hawaii is named Bill we have our pictures taken in Honolulu glorious parrots astride each shoulder the tousled man who chats us up is Bill, the Parrot Guy the bartender at our hotel is Bill – Bill the Bartender he loves us it’s nice to meet a Bill who does he puts extra rum in our Mai-tais we laugh at his jokes and then there’s the night we join a table of singing Australians the dark-haired one with freckles is Bill of the Australian Navy I haven’t kissed a man in almost a year but I’m used to kissing Bills I’ve put away a lot of beer with guys named Bill
