{"product_id":"the-markov-chain-ted-pearson-9781848615335","title":"The Markov Chain","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"When Basil Bunting declared that \"Pens are too light. \/ Take a chisel to write,\" I imagine he had in mind the kind of exact and exacting poetry Ted Pearson has been steadily producing for decades. In \u003cem\u003eThe Markov Chain\u003c\/em\u003e, Pearson presents a series of eight-line poems, each composed of four exquisitely crafted alexandrines: \"These formal restrictions \/\/ are like benedictions . . . Constraints lead to freedoms \/\/ exceeding predictions.\" Raising the ante, Pearson uses these formal constraints to probe the social constraints contemporary culture imposes on art and life. \"When the People say we, \/\/ they don't mean you and me. \/ The consensus they're seeking \/\/ will set no one free.\" This double take on constraints creates an animating tension throughout the book, one in which \"The gist of the lyric \/\/ tells a whole other tale.\" Pearson's chiseled poems enact a deep investigation into language that at once revels in and questions its own constraints. Follow at your own pace, but Pearson's ear, as always, won't lead you astray.\" --Paul Naylor\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ted Pearson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1848615337\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781848615335\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Shearsman Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/14\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 68\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.21lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.16d","brand":"Ted Pearson","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44077622395135,"sku":"9781848615335","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_7e355a0e-c968-47b5-9b6c-9bdbe41b083a.jpg?v=1685470932","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-markov-chain-ted-pearson-9781848615335","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}