The Beautiful Lie

Lying and truth-telling are a matter of choice; our innate capacity for mendacity is the source of all story-telling. The title poem sets the thematic tone for this collection which explores the interface between fiction and reality. In Fanfic, Pugh travels into cyberspace where devoted fans discuss, rewrite and reinvent cult-tv. A second sequence, Lady Franklin’s Man, details the long search for the Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, his widow’s resilience and enduring love shining through in atmospheric recreations of the land-, sea- and mind-scapes of the mid-Victorian era. other poems include a dubious paean to the ‘vampires of mercy’ and the prize-winning Toast, a heat-soaked homage to young builders golden and melting on hot pavements.