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Polari
"Polari," from the Italian "polare" ("to talk") is a coded language, originating in the UK and dating as far back as the 16th century. Overheard in outdoor markets, the theatre, fairgrounds, and circuses, it was appropriated by gay men to provide them with cover as well as with a way to assert personal and shared identities. It spread around the English-speaking world via the Royal Navy, the merchant marine, and cruise ships, adding and subverting many foreign-language words — like polari — along the way.
Contributors
John Barton
Polari is John Barton’s eleventh collection of poetry. His books and poems have won three Archibald Lampman Awards, a Patricia Hackett Prize, a CBC Literary Award, and a National Magazine Award. His poems, essays, and book reviews have appeared in magazines and anthologies across North America, Australia, and the UK. John Barton is the former co-editor of Arc and the present editor of the Malahat Review. He lives in Victoria.
