“The Fighting Family”
There’s nothing they forgot to pack —
Except a certain vital knack
Of not becoming slightly mental
In their teeny summer rental.
—Daniel Waters (D.A.W.)
“The Fighting Family” is from Daniel Waters‘ (D.A.W.) Vineyard Verses, one of two chapbooks produced by the author this year. I singled this poem out because it reminds me very much of my family beach vacations. Anyone else know what I’m talking about?
A spread from Vineyard Verses
Vineyard Verses and Prowling the Tupperware are collections of poetry about life on Martha’s Vineyard, where poet and printmaker Daniel Waters has spent most of his adult life. His light, sometimes comical and often uplifting verses center around subjects like painful family vacations, blackouts, sunsets and ill-advised tattoos. Waters’ award-winning poetry has appeared in Yankee Magazine, the Vineyard Gazette, Martha’s Vineyard Magazine and on NPR.
A spread from Prowling the Tupperware.
The 5.5 x 8.5-in. chapbooks are offset-printed by Tisbury Printer on Mohawk Superfine. Each spread features a black-and-white linoleum-block illustration chosen from hundreds of hand-carved blockprints made by Waters. The books are published by Waters’ printing and publishing company, Indian Hill Press, and can be ordered here.
