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by Jordan Couttien (Illustrator), Carl Powlett (Author)
If I were Donald Trump, I would describe "Ode to a Very Stable Genius" as a book composed of more than five hundred perfectly executed quatrains and innumerable, beautiful, incredible pictures. In fact, many people are saying, there may be more than one thousand. Both assertions would be easily verifiable lies. "Ode to a Very Stable Genius" is a compendium of four hundred and four quatrains, sardonically portraying the life and times of Donald J. Trump. It is not a narrative chronology, but a compilation of stanzas wherein each could stand alone. The book includes a baker's dozen's worth of original, legend-potential illustrations, spaced throughout on separate pages. A preface and introduction supplement the front matter, detailing the genesis and construction of the work, along with some biting editorial content. The body text begins with a seven-stanza prologue and ends similarly, with a seven-stanza epilogue. The core contains sixty-five roman numeral headed six-stanza pages. This is a unique work. These quatrains touch upon practically every aspect of the life and times of our accidental President - past, present, hoped for and imagined. Most are expressed in the voice of his supporters. The ode, a type of poem which expresses adoration, worship, adulation, has an abundance of the kind of superlatives that would leave our POTUS with a permanent Mona Lisa smile. However, the denouement of each stanza, invariably belie the approbation of the "A" verse; they are poetic chameleons. If these should be read to him, (One gets the feeling he may have avoided the remedial ELA at Wharton), his reaction is likely to be more Munch than Leonardo. With this literary effort, my hope is, readers will find lines, phrases, segments, that will lead to further exploration, knowledge, and understanding. Maybe, even, clarity. It's the kind of book a reader (non-regular readers, too) can pick up at any time. It could be a fine substitute for the TV remote. It doesn't need batteries and isn't likely to get lost between the seat cushions. Appreciating most of the verses require only a passing knowledge of current events. There are a few esoteric entries for news junkies and worse (or, better) - historians. Also, some which may, not unreasonably, be labeled as "puzzling" (à la the one that includes the spices, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme). I have taken a leap of faith, that readers of this book are a curious bunch (Loads of bunches?), who will take the time to consider the possible "puzzlement" (Privy Pantheon?) within the context of each verse, stanza, and its relationship to the subject.
