In exploring the insane, heroic venturesomeness of the many incarnations of "the man," Rafferty cuts to the heart of the difficulties of modern urban life.
Charles Rafferty published a chapbook, The Wave That Will Beach Us Both, prior to winning the 1994 Arkansas Poetry Award. He has a B.A. in literature from Stockton State College, New Jersey, and an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Arkansas, and is a recipient of the Academy of American Poets Prize, the Felix Christopher McKean Award, and the 1991 Lily Peter Fellowship. He lives with his wife, Wendy, in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.