Hundred-Year Circus, The

The Hundred-Year Circus is a raucous poem/play/epic/narrative-unlimited that is by turns haunting, compelling, and fun. The story: America, riven by political division and blighted by the climate crisis, musters three figures from myth—the Tramp, the Man in the Mask, and the Prophet—to act as champions in a once-in-a-century reckoning. Along for the ride? Survivalist cults, bungling world leaders, migrant caravans, and Jokerman, the First American and immortal Judge. By means of an energetic Bob-Dylan-esque fusion of forms—including free verse, prose poems, invocations, and elegies—the collection considers the fate of a troubled republic. In her innovative debut, Sarah Gibbs provides readers with a dazzling ride they won’t soon forget.