Mangroves is Laurie Duggan's first book of poems since his New and Selected Poems 1971-1993 and Memorials, both published in 1996. From the Ash Range to The Epigrams of Marshal, he has published ten poetry collections as well as a cultural history, Ghost Nation, published by UQP in 2001.This generous collection reveals a change in direction by this long-time Melbourne resident. The first half was written in Brisbane. It broadens the range of Duggan's work, adding to his customary wit and documentary approach a new sense of philosophical investigation. The second half contains work from the early nineties including 'Twentieth Century', a group of translations from an Italian Futurist poet, and concludes with the long prose poem, 'The Minutes', a hallucinatory meditation on art and politics in Melbourne.