Description
Book SynopsisAn innovative poetic interrogation of wrestling, queerness, and staying true to oneself. Quinn Carver Johnson's debut collection follows its titular protagonist, a nonbinary and queer professional wrestler, as they travel across Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri, working for a booker known as the Puppeteer.
Trade ReviewThe Perfect Bastard is an ambitious, revelatory, and exciting debut. These poems are for readers searching for portrayals not only of queerness and the Midwest but also of queer joy, queer sports, and, ultimately, a celebration of camp." - Taneum Bambrick, author of
Intimacies, ReceivedTable of Contents
- A Prediction // A Spoiler
- The Territory
- The Roster
- [ACT I]
- The Birth of the Perfect Bastard
- Before it Sets In
- The Beauty of the Backyard Wrestling League
- Ode to the Hometown Crowd
- Cheap Heat // Action City
- The Perfect Bastard Finds a Photograph of Adrian Street & His Father
- We Want Tables
- Puppet Show
- Tanner Hart Burns
- Intimacy Suplex
- The Perfect Bastard vs. The First Crusher
- In the Alley Between Matches, The Sunset Kid Explains the History of Cigarettes
- Ode to the Pink Cowboy Hat
- [ACT II]
- Nightfall // Daybreak or The Last Ride of the Sunset Kid
- [ACT III]
- The Perfect Bastard Dreams of Gold
- During A Radio Interview on the Night of the Ceremony, Someone Calls In & Asks the Perfect Bastard “How Do I Explain to My Children All of This Queer Love You’re Flaunting on TV?”
- They Say 50% Of Marriages End in Divorce, but 100% Of Pro Wrestling Marriages End in Disaster
- Tonight, the Perfect Bastard is the Sacrificial Poet
- The Lemon Crusher Breaks Kayfabe on the Radio
- The Perfect Bastard vs. The First Crusher II
- The Rebirth of the Perfect Bastard
- Rose Gold
- Jack Holiday Cuts a Promo
- Adrian Street Wins the Mid-South Television Championship
- In the Fly Trap
- Adrian Street Explains the Joke
- The Perfect Bastard Calls Their Mom
- The Ghost of Gorgeous George Visits the Perfect Bastard
- Pipebomb // Pipedream
- The Perfect Bastard Speaks to Adrian Street
- Supercut
- Action City Screwjob
- Acknowledgements
