ghost music by mark d. dunn
BuschekBooks, $17.50
Canadian poet and musician Mark D. Dunn has a serious eye for the things all around us, as well as a serious ear for music, and he puts them to use in this book of poems. Filled with beautiful, rusty words about rivers and mountains, bird and people, the poems flow with all the qualities of a good song. Strong images and concrete, sincere narrations are the backbone of this collection, and they are sturdy. This is a gem of a book by a brand new author, and it's not one to miss.
Rating: 4/5
Rating: 4/5
the moon is a fish by peter markus
cinematheque press, $8
Markus' fifth work of fiction, this chapbook of short stories includes all the addictive qualities of his past encounters with the brothers and their muddy river. This collection, though, stands out in that the brothers are thrown, in the stories ending the collection, into some murky situations upriver. A sort of new adventure for the brothers, and Markus, though the mystic, slick-worded magic of his past work is as bright and beautiful as ever. On a side note, proceeds from this book go to Inside Out Literary Arts in Detroit, a phenomenal nonprofit where Peter Markus works and thrives. Aside from the ethic reasons, the aesthetic reasons anybody should purchase this book are overwhelming and too numerous to list here.
Rating: 5/5
Rating: 5/5
beast, to be your friend by jennifer moss
New Michigan Press, $8
This collection of poems brings unconventional methods and styles of writing and presenting poetry and pairs it with a comfortably new look at the world. A thin book, Beast boasts a power-packed 30-some pages of poetry that almost always force a double-take. Jennifer Moss has succeeded in creating and establishing a unique voice for herself, something that poetry can be too easily absent of today. For fresh poems with a keen sense of language and an open summer prairie vibe, get your hands on this delicately powerful book.
Rating: 4.5/5
Rating: 4.5/5
set apart before the world was made by john swain
Calliope Nerve, $6
In a mess of media consisting of self-reflecting writers, John Swain takes a stand and becomes the sentry for the world. These poems describe the world in a mystical way, making simple scenic views and events seem heavenly. Swain's commanding vocabulary drives these simplistic poems to another level, ranging from observant to prophetic. Only a few people can take a tree and mold it into words which lead a person on the right path in life. To twist nature into a deep bellow of wisdom. If you want to hear this voice, pick up this collection.
Rating: 3.5/5
Rating: 3.5/5
further adventures in the restless universe
by dawn raffel
Dzanc Books, $15
This latest collection of stories from Dawn Raffel delivers poetic verse like you've never seen. These stories use abstract language to describe the seemingly meaningless and mundane events that happen to all of us in life. Though the language is entertaining, it can get a big confusing. A few times I found myself trying to figure out what was going on in the story. However, that is how life is, isn't it? These stories are powerful in this way. They force us all to take a step back and realize how brilliant life and language can be. From child-raising to family stories, further adventures in the restless universe is just that - happenings in our world which often proves itchy for more action.
Read this book for amazement.
Rating: 4/5
Read this book for amazement.
Rating: 4/5
losing season by jack ridl
CavanKerry Press, $16
Poet Jack Ridl's latest book of poetry, Losing Season, is a heartfelt collection of poems about a basketball team which can't catch a break. We are introduced to characters like Coach and Scrub and Janitor who all feel the pain of this losing season. We get thrown out into the cold winter, the humid sweaty inside of a basketball court and even Coach's home. We see the unfortunate dependence a small town can have on their high school teams, and we see the hurt a family feels when their father is a coach. Losing Season says so much about the American lifestyle through a single team, a single sport, a single season.
Rating: 3.5/5
Rating: 3.5/5
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