Milwaukee Liddy Hagiography places Tyler Farrell’s poems with letters from poet James Liddy, with photographs of their friendship interspersed. Farrell’s poems create a lyrical zooming out of a map, beginning locally in a Milwaukee corner bar and ever expanding through the scenes and histories of poetry. Juxtaposed with the artefact of Liddy’s correspondence, the poems turn the images to postcards crossing time and place.

Tyler Farrell met James Liddy in the summer 1995 when Farrell was studying abroad and Liddy gave a lecture at Trinity College Dublin on Irish and American Poetry. After which James asked: “Is there anyone in the audience from Milwaukee? I love to talk with Milwaukee poets.” Soon thereafter, Farrell was invited by Liddy for a drink at a local Dublin pub (Grogan’s Castle Lounge) and began emulating Liddy’s poetry and stance that “first love idea is best love idea.” (“In the Cloud” from Rome that Heavenly Country, Arlen House 2011). Farrell grew up in Milwaukee and currently teaches in the English Department at Marquette University, a Jesuit Institution of Higher Education.

This book was laser printed at The Bindery in Milwaukee, and hand-bound in St Francis, WI in an edition of 50. The text pages are 20lb recycled copy paper and the covers are 80lb Wausau Royal Laid cover stock.