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| It is often said that giving one's work over for review is like airing dirty underwear. Or is it that a stitch in time saves nine? Oh, I can't remember. I don't know much about quotations, but I sure do know what I like. And I'm seeing quite a few things that I like in this batch of books. Take a look, will ya? |
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Eleven (chapbook) Mark Sonnenfeld There are a wide assortment of small chaps and broadsides to review here. I have chosen to give the goods on one especially, entitled Funk/works. Mark's work w/ Catfish is harder than usual, peppered with expletives and visions of harsh reality and nakedness. Check out McDaris' "Curiosity Killed the Cat" and Sonnenfeld's "Sundown" from this chap in this issue's All U Can Eat. I keep running across ideas that I think could be great themes for a poem (like "Jean-Claude Individually Numbered Movie Bombs" in da- de- vapor & spazz & on a snare perplexity), but instead of really sticking with it (and hashing out that thought), Mark chooses to language-poem-it, so to speak, which, sad to say, leaves me wanting. In the next issue, I will do an interview with Mark, so that
I can ask him all the dirty details about his obscure works.
The chapbooks, overall, rate [3]. Done with Mirrors (and other reflections) ($3) Gary Jurechka and Wayne Wilkerson The cover of this chap is silver and reflective with no print on it at all. —This made it difficult for me to tell which way was the right-side up beginning. But, take heart, the graphic design and layout are the worst part of this collection. The rest is pretty brilliant, if you ask me. Two of my favorite poemsmiths reflecting on . . . . reflections. Yep, the entire book is a theme-fest, featuring coupled poems on a page (one on top of the other), or poems on facing pages that deal with the same topic, but in each poet's unique voice. What is more significant—and rewarding—are the collaborative
poems. I've included an example ("Siamese Surgery")
in this issue's All U Can Eat.
It's extremely hard to be meaningfully reflective singly, so
that writing while blending identities and ideas seamlessly and
stylishly is worth shouting from the rooftops about. So, here
I am shouting from the rooftop. Even with a less-than-remarkable
visual package, I give this book my highest rating. [5] Jail (chapbook) William Bryan Massey III Well, taking a cue from his Texas Beer Jesus Whiskey Pussy, no one knows how to write white-trash poetry like Bill. In fact, dare I say that his book The Sister seems an biographical sketch of his actual sister (replete with high school yearbook photos and inscriptions). The real ones! My god, is nothing sacred?! His work may be too fucking real. What he needs is a shot of glamour and fantasy in his life just to make it worth living, I'd say. Anyway, I guess as long as he can keep milking it for material, who am I to question? Some of his work is wonderful, but, as can be the case when
one publishes so often, some of it is excess for excess' sake.
One of my favorite poems of these three books is "the morning
after drinking all night in waco" (which I've reprinted
in this issue's All U Can Eat).
He's right up front with his angst, and this I can appreciate.
And as always, Bill's books are tastefully "grunge"
designed and presented, which scores points with me. [4] Dreams and Garbage and The Abyss (chapbook) Mark's work-a-day poetic style works for me. (Probably ‘cuz I've spent most of my life slaving like a dog and dreaming of a better life.) Anyway, sometimes there's ironic comedy to his daily reports and, sometimes, just the simple agony of living. I've included one of his more ironic comedic pieces ("The
Days Lacking of Sympathy") in this issue's All
U Can Eat. His work is usually a fairly enjoyable read, and
this chap is no different. [3] Lip Thinker: A Poetry in the Vernacular (chapbook) Bob offers a compendium of verse. In fact, there's some much included in this collection that he has classified the TOC into categories (like humor, inspirational, love, gothic, etc.). This made getting around in the book a lot more manageable. I've chosen one of his "work" poem selections ("Around the Ugly Career Track") to reprint in this issue's Ciencias Politicas. Bob's work is consistent in its voice--he's the prophet blaring
from the subway platform, with his pen focused on the big picture
of Big Brother and slime and daily angst. He's really good that
way. If you like your chicken three days old, dropped on the
floor and then fried, you're likely to find something in this
collection to ring your bell. [4] The Sad Dumb Beauty of Everything (chapbook)
($4) This is my top pick this issue. It's a book of sad and unassuming love poems, oddly enough, written by a man. What I mean is the perspective is fresh even though the sentiments are tried and true. Bill is good at turning the everyday emotion into something
special; something to treasure. That's why this chap doesn't
disappoint there. Check out "The Example" in this issue's
All U Can Eat. What more can
I say, but get the goddamn book! [5] I Can't Tie My Own Shoelaces . . . Soon I Was Certain
I Was God (chapbook) The Devil Won't Let Me In (chapbook) Alice Olds-Ellingson What can I say? This woman is an original. And when she gets published, she gets published right. Both of these chaps are more like library editions, since they are perfectbound and are each as thick as my finger! But, then again, when you're as prolific (and as honest to your craft) as Alice is, you deserve nothing less. As is her style, both these books deal with her life and times—even
including poems about divorce and pets and tricking. I still
continue to recommend her even with the warning that some of
it is thick and useless, while the rest shimmer like gems. [4] Venus in Pisces (chapbook) Wow. This is another one of those books where a man reflects
on the love, loss and sex in his life. It's pretty deep. It's
the theme that holds it together, actually. Not that A.D. isn't
talented, but when you see the individual poems together as a
collection, you get this glimpse into his soul. That's what makes
the work sparkle. Yeah, in fact, I'm really digging on several
poems in the book, including "Final Poem for Sheila"
and "The Search" (which I've included in this issue's
All U Can Eat. All and all,
this book tells of a man who has lived a rich life—I didn't
know, until this book, that he was sixty! Accumulating these
experiences seems quite an accomplishment, while at the same
time, it is the consequence of having truly let oneself live.
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