Blue

Bert Almon is a professor of English at the University of Alberta. He is
the author of Calling Texas, Earth Prime, and Mind the Gap.

George Elliott Clarke’s book is, by his own description, black, surly,
and profane. The dominant mood is rage, primarily about race and
history. The tone is overwhelmingly hostile and the diction is meant to
offend. He throws hifalutin’ French phrases in with gutter language,
creating a rather bizarre and pompous effect. He demonstrates a wide
range of learning and prosodic brilliance. The overall effect is not
successful. Clarke might think of Napoleon’s aphorism “You can do
anything with bayonets except sit on them.”