declining america, by Rob Budde, is a series of long poems which depict "america" not as a nation but as a linguistic strategy that most of the planet engages with. The long poems range from overtly political ("my american movie") to language-based ("software tracks"). Many of the poems were written while traveling America (the nation) while reading Jean Baudrillard's America (the book) but also with the view that the cultural imperialism of the United States has rendered Canada ï??America' (the regime).

Rob Budde teaches Creative Writing at the University of Northern BC and has taught previously at the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. He has published seven books of poetry, fiction, and short fiction. He has been a finalist for the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer and the McNally-Robinson Manitoba Book of the Year. In 1995, Budde completed a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Calgary. Recently Budde published a book of poetry titled Finding Ft. George, a collection of poems about Rob s growing relationship with Prince George and Northern BC. Rob lives in Prince George with his partner, Debbie Keahey and four children: Robin, Erin, Quinlan, and Anya. Check out his poetry blog: www.writingwaynorth.blogspot.com

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