John Cooper Clarke - The Luckiest Guy Alive

 

After reading Clarke's autobiography Melanie went on a hunt for books of his poetry and this was the first one that she found, a 2021 release of new writings. I was as entertained as anyone at Clarke's performance in Urgh! but I never thought to search out his written works. While he is certainly an entertaining performer, I personally find that his poems lose something while appearing on the white pages of a book. I think that his works truly rely on his performances and that, while he is absolutely clever and has a way with words, the poems read and feel more like song lyrics (although most have never been put to music) rather than poetry. I'm certain that many would disagree with my, but I would rather hear these than read them. Melanie disagrees with me and truly enjoyed this book, so check it out for yourself and see what you think!