By turns celebratory and sceptical, Career Limiting Moves is a
selection of essays and reviews drawn from a decade of immersion in
Canadian poetry. Inhabiting a milieu in which unfriendly remarks are
typically spoken sotto voce--if at all--Wells has consistently said
what he thinks aloud. The pieces in this collection comprise revisionist
assessments of some big names in Canadian Poetry (Margaret Atwood, Lorna
Crozier, Don McKay and Patrick Lane, among others); satirical ripostes
parrying others' critical views (Andre Alexis, Erin Moure, Jan Zwicky);
substantial appraisals of underrated or near-forgotten poets (Charles
Bruce, Kenneth Leslie, Peter Sanger, John Smith, Peter Trower, Peter Van
Toorn); assessments of promising debuts (Suzanne Buffam, Pino Coluccio,
Thomas Heise, Peter Norman) and much else besides--including a few
surprises for anyone who thinks they have Wells's taste figured out.
Zachariah Wells is the editor of Jailbreaks: 99 Canadian Sonnets
and the author of two collections of poetry.