Words for Things Left Unsaid by Ethan Goffman Kelsay Books (March 7, 2020) Available at Amazon What stands out almost immediately about Ethan Goffman’s poetry collection Words for Things Left Unsaid, is that his poems often read like speculative fiction, asking what-if questions about reality, science, and history. In one of the opening poems, “Taxonomy of History,” Goffman writes: There …
Another Mad Review: Escape from Planet Crouton
by Mike Fiorito on May 19, 2020 :: 0 comments
Escape from Planet Crouton by Wayne F. Burke LUCHADOR Press (December 24, 2019) Available at Amazon Since we run in some of the same writing circles, I’ve known and loved Wayne F. Burke’s poetry for several years now. To my ears, Burke’s poems tell very American stories. They read like Merle Haggard and John Prine songs, briefly told and with …
Another Mad Review: Jumpers from the Belfry Tower
by Mike Fiorito on March 8, 2020 :: 0 comments
Jumpers from the Belfry Tower by Ryan Quinn Flanagan Pski’s Porch (December 19, 2019) Available at Amazon Delighted to have just read Ryan Quinn Flanagan’s (RQF’s) Jumpers from the Belfry Tower. And having previously reviewed RQF’s Return to Vegas Poems for Mad Swirl, I feel like I’m becoming a scholar of RQF’s work. Watch out RQF, next I’m writing your …
Another Mad Review : Ode to a Drunken Muse
by Mike Fiorito on November 27, 2019 :: 0 commentsOde to a Drunken Muse by Paul Hellweg Alien Buddha Press (March 3, 2019) Available at Amazon Ode to a Drunken Muse, published by Alien Buddha Press, is a collection of poems by Paul Hellweg. I love Hellweg’s play on the Keats odes, though we can expect that he has other ideas in mind than dancing around reciting verse with Greek boys. …
Another Mad Review : Unwritten Words That Slide Down The Wall
by Mike Fiorito on August 15, 2019 :: 0 commentsUnwritten Words That Slide Down The Wall by James D. Casey IV Cajun Mutt Press (May 28, 2019) Available at Amazon James Dennis Casey IV (JDC IV) goes by a few names: Magick Gonzo Outlaw Poet, Madman Philosopher, Artist, Pirate, Owl Lover, Cat Lover, and Weirdo. I’m sure there are more things he’s been called or calls himself. But in …
Another Mad Review: RETURN TO VEGAS POEMS
by Mike Fiorito on June 26, 2019 :: 0 commentsRETURN TO VEGAS POEMS by Ryan Quinn Flanagan CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (June 6, 2018) Available at Amazon Like most writers, I’m hard at work on various projects at once. We always have to be writing. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Ryan Quinn Flanagan (RQF) is one of the hardest working poets …
Another Mad Review: Lady, You Shot Me
by Mike Fiorito on May 3, 2019 :: 0 commentsLady, You Shot Me by Darren C. Demaree 8th House Publishing • 2018 Available at Amazon Darren Demaree’s poetry collection, Lady, You Shot Me, is about the life of Sam Cooke. Before reading these poems, I knew very little about Sam Cooke, other than his music. But, after reading this collection, I was inspired to learn more about him. You …
Another Mad Review : On the Other Side of the Window
by Mike Fiorito on February 24, 2019 :: 0 commentsOn the Other Side of the Window by Marianne Szlyk Pski’s Porch Publishing • 2018 Available at Amazon If ever there was a time for a collection of poems like On the Other Side of the Window, by Marianne Szlyk, it is now. I was immediately struck by Szlyk’s use of the word Eaarth, which, she explains, is Bill McKibben’s …