Verses Versus Empire

When Bush Appears for Divine Judgment…

"Well, I'm elected President,
Oh isn't it a thrill?
I get to ride in limousines
Though the seats are stained by Bill..."

Thus, George W. Bush enters the Oval Office on the wings of a stolen election and presides over eight years of imperial atrocity, from war to torture to environmental destruction. But now he must answer to the throne of God!

In this opening work of Abdiel LeRoy's three-volume series on three imperial presidences, we recall the horrors of 9/11, desecration of Constitutional rights, and overseas invasion perpetrated by a military-industrial complex mired in 'War on Terror' absurdities. Hurricane Katrina follows, the execution of Saddam Hussein, and the 'Financial Crisis' of 2008.

That LeRoy documents all of this in poetry, prose, and short stories sings of unprecedented literary achievement, his moods ranging from light-hearted satire and bawdy wordplay to searing irony and melancholic lament. Yet the reader is entertained throughout.

These Verses Versus Empire works establish LeRoy as a poetic voice for our age, as if the early prophets spoke through Shakespeare and echoed to humanity today!

"A brave new presence in the politics of the globe."
San Francisco Review of Books

“If you wanted to extend the critical view of American political history into the present beyond Gore Vidal’s ‘Biography of the United States of America,’ these books would be the ticket… A joy to read and an invitation to keep your eyes open as to what is really going on.”
Rogier F. van Vlissingen

“LeRoy’s words dance around the page so lyrically that a story emerges… It’s not just about Bush, but his era, the history, the events that may not be remembered by all. The most heart-wrenching is ‘Olympus Shook’ in relation to 9/11, and then ‘Doomsday’, on the aftermath.”
Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews, Top-10 Books of 2019

“So well done. A remarkable command of the language and great sensitivity. And doing all this in an entirely new way, wading into (almost) unexplored literary territory.”
Claude Forthomme

“Abdiel LeRoy’s poetry and prose offer intellectual nourishment for critical thinkers and seekers of truth… I highly recommend this book and its companion editions to anyone who seeks to escape from the ‘Matrix’.”
Annemarie M. Osborne