Somewhere between prose poem, sacred incantation, and inspired children's story lies Paul Fattaruso's extraordinary second book, Bicycle. In spare, comically surreal prose, Fattaruso elevates the bicycle to the status of an idol--an ordinary object rendered talismanic by repetitive association and imbued with personal meaning. Every word in this distilled, poetic novella is a heartbeat, every sentence a sharp intake of breath, every page turned an exhalation.

These seventy-seven variations on the bicycle are intimate, inventive and vibrant. They recall the musical cadence and rolling rhythms of Gertude Stein as well as the playful caprice of the DADA poets, yet are marked by an element of magic and immediacy that is entirely Fattaruso's.

Richard Brautigan had his trout; Paul, his bicycle. You'll never forget how to ride this bike.