Wide-ranging, yet anchored in strong emotions, the poems in The Universe and All That are sometimes comic, occasionally surreal, and always attentive to the larger expanses of the universe and time through which words, and we, pass. An ambitious exploration of how our experiences mediate between comedy and tragedy, often at the same time.

Praise for John Oughton’s previous work:

“One is struck by the variety of the poems in Time Slip, John Oughton's fifth collection of poetry, which combines selections from his first four books, as well as new poems of the past decade. His steady, sure voice captures lyrical and sardonic modes in personal poems as well as historic impersonations, with a mixture of playfulness and serious contemplation.”
— Michael Greenstein, Prairie Fire

“John Oughton's poetic biography, Mata Hari’s Lost Words, may justly be compared with Gwendolyn MacEwen's acclaimed poem sequence on Lawrence of Arabia.”
— Alan Thomas, Canadian Book Review Annual

“There’s not one disappointing poem in Counting Out the Millennium, John Oughton’s clever, playful, imaginative, wonderful book. Oughton’s intelligence shines throughout the collection.”
— John B. Lee, Quill & Quire

“John Oughton's first novel, Death by Triangulation, is a seriously hilarious crime-fictional romp inspired by history. The clues are in the humour and the solution is an existential twist.”
— Elana Wolff, author of Swoon and Shape Taking

John Oughton is a retired college teacher living in Toronto. His previous publications include five books of poetry, the most recent being Time Slip; a mystery novel, Death by Triangulation; and Higher Teaching: A Handbook for New Postsecondary Faculty. He has also published close to 500 articles, reviews, blogs and interviews. His other pursuits are kayaking, photography, and playing guitar.