Deus ex machina by A E Stallings

Poems

April 2007

Deus ex machina

Burke

was right!

Because we were good at entanglements, but not
Resolution, and made a mess of plot,
Because there was no other way to fulfil
The ancient prophesy, because the will
Of the gods demanded punishment, because
Neither recognized who the other was,
Because there was no difference between
A tragic ending and a comic scene,
Because the play was running out of time,
Because the mechanism of the sublime
Was in good working order, but needed using,
Because it was a script not of our choosing,
Because we were actors, because we knew for a fact
We were only actors, because we could not act.

A E Stallings's latest collection of poetry is Hapax (TriQuarterly).

Events

November 24 2009

OPEN EVENT: Laura Jacobs reading

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December 02 2009

Friends Event: The Swallow Anthology Reading

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December 17 2009

Friends Event: New Criterion Holiday Party

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Webcasts

New Criterion-Social Affairs Unit Conference: Part 4
"The Criminalization of Making Money" by Lionel Shriver, Recorded 9/25/09

New Criterion-Social Affairs Unit Conference: Part 3
"The State and the Threat to Democracy" by Jeremy Black and "The Paradox of the Intellectual and the Future of Capitalism" by Tim Congdon, Recorded on 9/25/2009

New Criterion-Social Affairs Unit Conference: Part 2
"Nice 'N' Easy: The Age of Micro Tyranny" by Mark Steyn, Recorded on 9/25/2009

Weblog

Integrity 101

by James Bowman

Nov 18, 2009 09:35 PM

The King of Fantasyland

by James Bowman

Nov 16, 2009 05:59 PM

An old dog's new trick

by Michael Weiss

Nov 16, 2009 04:43 PM

The New Criterion

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