Bill Van Buskirk

This Wild Joy That Thrills Outside the Law Bill Van Buskirk

Bill Van Buskirk evokes the memory and the spirit of his great grandfather, who, in his youth, stole apples, and then recalled the sordid deed not long before his death with something short of guilt and shame. "This wild joy that thrills outside the law," the poet calls it, the crossing of the lines of propriety. Reading the poems brought together for this wonderful first collection will make you wonder if some errant gene was not passed on, both for the penchant for allowing his mmd to wander, and the finding of simple joys in the margins where outlaws roam. It is fitting that this volume, the first Mad Poets' Joie DeVivre Book Award winner, should reflect life around the edges. Van Buskirk is not thrown off stride when he finds himself at odds with the circumstances.