The Bughouse

In The Bughouse, Daniel Swift explores the complex life of American poet Ezra Pound during his confinement at St. Elizabeths Hospital for the insane after being deemed insane in 1945. The narrative unfolds as a unique literary salon, where renowned poets like T. S. Eliot and Elizabeth Bishop visited him to share news and engage in deep discussions, all while grappling with Pound's controversial legacy as a fascist. Swift offers an unconventional perspective, tracing Pound's influence at this pivotal moment in both his life and 20th-century art and politics, blending history with contemporary reflections on his impact.