Description
Book SynopsisThe poems in this masterful new collection connote a simple warning: trust nothing. The compilation’s hilarious final piece, which recasts Canada’s discovery as a hoax from the Middle Ages, transforms shortfalls of perception into tour de force performances. Drawing on a deepened range of forms—including comic set-pieces, verse-plays, and dramatic monologues—these compositions embrace deception as both a theme and a tactic, portraying encounters that test the threshold of what is real and what is imaginary.
Trade Review"Here is an imagination able to fashion poetry out of grease and rust; out of a pocket or a table. Asa Boxer views the mechanical world that surrounds us, imbuing it with significance. Anyone reading these poems will never look at a hammer in the same way again. But The Mechanical Bird also engages the animate world, portraying it with wit and energy. Innovative rhymes, unerring rhythms, and a sure way with words mark Boxer's style. The Mechanical Bird is a welcome addition to Canadian poetry." --Canadian Authors Association Jury
"Boxer delights in the creative powers of language: he infuses life into every object, he explodes and implodes those objects, he creates alternate histories and secret lives for them, he imbues them with progeny." --Arc Poetry Magazine on The Mechanical Bird
"There is a panoramic quality to this book, which takes us into the heart of the natural and man-made worlds, offers insights on war and terror, and penetrates the lives of individuals and relationships." --Montreal Review of Books on The Mechanical Bird
Table of ContentsMaking Yourself a Better Player & Athlete1. Structured On-Court Training2. Structured Physical Training (Off-Court Training)3. Structured Yearly Planning and Periodization4. Smart Training and Playing Tips5. Structured Mental Training6. Structured Physical and Medical Assessments7. Survival Strategies for Staying HealthySurvival Strategies for Staying HealthyCommon Back Problems and the Malaligned PlayerCore Training to Hold NeutralOutsmarting Your Injuries Tips for Injury Treatment: PRINCE Injury Prevention ?? Self Treatment TricksOvertraining and Recovery GuidelinesRecognizing and Preventing Overstress (Overtraining)Physical and Psychological RecoverySleep Smarts for RecoveryMyofascial Ball ReleaseHigh Performance Recovery Strategies Tennis Specific Recovery TipsContributing WritersSelected BibliographyResources & Services (National & International)
