Mandelson! Mandelson! A Memoir

David Herd is a poet, critic and teacher. His recent essays on poetry and politics have appeared in Almost Island, Parallax and PN Review. He lives in Kent.

• Disclaimer About These Parts My Young Youth A Statement of Intent In which the Poet, Trying to Come up with a Title for the Book he is Writing, becomes Anecdotal; and his Loyal Companion of Several Years' Standing Helps Out by Throwing a Log on the Fire Notes Towards a New Method of Institutional Audit Cherries Modern Love Mass Observation On Once Seeing Gary Humes's 'Daffodils' in Hoxton (I Wanted to Whistle) To E.P. Almonds Apples March 9th, 2001 In which the Poet Speaks of Time Spent in America, while Noting, in Passing, an Alimentary Complaint Exile's Letter Mass Observation Prudence Peter's Poem Peter! Peter! How to Breathe Tuesday My Life The Poet's Dream In Which the Poet and his Wife Address the State of the Nation Untitled On First Listening to Mahler's Second Symphony, otherwise known as the 'Resurrection' Builder Sings January 20th, 2003 In Person Note to Self Shops and Houses A Poem by Walter de la Mare Two Figures To a Friend A Note on the Title

'...a dizzy and disorienting chain of teasing, clever, breezy challenging, ingratiating, and infuriating poems...there are many poems here that will put a spring in your step, and make your mind dance.' - Tower Poetry. 'A scintillating first collection of poems' - Scotland on Sunday. '...a tour de force display of wit and technique, terrific poem after terrific poem.' - Poetry Review