Our book of the week is our Summer Recommendation: The Banality of Power by James Byrne, published by Broken Sleep Books.
"He insists on poetry as nothing but a political undertaking at a time when many poets have deserted the arena of politics as too costly to the compulsory nuances of their art." — PBS Selector Fred D'Aguiar
This collection, echoing Hannah Arendt's well-known phrase, 'the banality of evil', traces how cruelty becomes procedure, how violence is normalised, and how authority hides in plain sight. Through the everyday and the ordinary, the poet defines the banal ways institutions enact harm and sidestep justice. As Byrne puts it: "Infinitesimal, but incensed at seeing people so frequently stepped on, I seek to engage with something much more important than myself."
Order your copy of The Banality of Power here, with 25% off for PBS members.