smCOLUMN SIXTY-NINE, MARCH 1, 2002
(Copyright © 2002 Al Aronowitz)
SECTION
TWELVE
POETRY
REVIEWS
sm
COLUMN
SIXTY-NINE, MARCH 1, 2002
(Copyright © 2002 Al Aronowitz)
BLACKLISTED JOURNALIST poetry reviewer and LUCID MOON editor Ralph Haselmann Jr., who suffered extreme injuries in a freak accident near his home more than four months ago, has been transferred from Morristown Memorial Hospital to the Summit Ridge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Summit Street in West Orange, N.J., where he faces months of further care and recovery. Although he remains unable to speak because of a tracheotomy tube and although he remains paralyzed from his chest down, his mother, Kathy Haselmann, told THE BLACKLISTED JOURNALIST that he may now receive visitors. She added that he has been much cheered by the cards and messages he has received.
* * *
"The
aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously,
The
Butcher's Block
The
Butcher's Block, poetry
journal, Vol. III Spring 2001, 38 pages, thick stock paper and cover, with color
photographs, sidestapled with tape covering staples, $10 check made out to
Butcher Block Press, David Greenspan Editor, 30 West St. Apt. B, Oneonta, NY
13820. This is a fine quarterly journal unique for its thickness of pages, color
photography and nice typography, different on each page. I enjoyed the mix of
well established post-Beat writers, including the likes of Tony Moffeit,
Herschel Silverman, Steve Dalachinsky, and Catfish McDaris. Not all of the poems
work, but so many do that it leaves you with a good feeling inside as your brain
molecules are tickled and rearranged by what the intriguing poets have to say.
This is the finest homemade magazine around, so do check it out!
Dwindling
Light
Dwindling
Light, poetry chapbook by Michael
Keshigian, 2001, 40 pages, $3 check made out to John Berbrich, BoneWorld
Publishing, 3700 County Route 24, Russell, New York 13684. This is a strong
collection of poetry about nature, the universe, the moon, night breezes the
whisper in your ear with delight. The poems are delicate, beautiful, and
concisely painted with details. Lake Dance reads: "peaceful
undulation gently raps the brownish-green barnacle pier crystal blue pulse of
the extensive lake abounds with life below its pristine surface fettered only by
a rustling breeze instigating ripples to momentarily dance out of step against
the placid mirror which reflects its tranquil message enrapturing my mind to
join in a serene pas-de-duex gracefully waltzing upon wavering crests
till the whispering breath ceases." There is a feeling of serenity in these
images, as if the author is inhaling a deep breath and taking in the beauty of
it all. Highly recommended.
Earthly
Magic
Earthly
Magic, poetry chapbook by Margery
Snyder, 2001, 22 pages, $7 ppd to Margery Snyder, PO Box 471493, SF CA 94147.
This is an okay collection of poetry about such earthly mysteries as Stonehenge,
the moon, nature and other scientific mysteries. The general tone is pleasant
and contemplative of life's mysteries, but the language is a little dull and
stilted, very academic. I longed for the wordplay, wit and juice of an
underground poet. This is the kind of poetry that is pushed in academic and
college journals, and it is lacking something. Not a bad collection, but not
majestic enough in its descriptions of wonder at the earthly magic it purports
to write about.
Ghost
Worker
Ghost
Worker, poetry chapbook by Whitman
McGowan, $7 ppd to Whitman McGowan, PO Box 471493, SF CA 94147. I would assume
from these poems that Whitman is a janitor, for the poems all describe
janitorial work. Some of the poems are jokey, as in this line from Extra Long
Pink Hose, "…as long there's no kink in my extra long pink
hose it has a tendency to spurt uncontrollably when a pretty woman walks by
smiling at me. And I don't want to get all the women wet in my neighborhood, now
do I?" These poems are not very poetic and are kind of boring and jokey.
Not my cup of tea, or most of yours out there either.
Lesbian
Trapped In A Man's Body
Lesbian
Trapped In A Man's Body,
poetry book by Brian Daly, 2001, 75 pages, $12.95 to Black Greyhound Media, PO
Box 40367, Nashville, TN 37204. The cover on this book looks beautiful, with
some very good to some just average underground post-Beat poetry inside. Six of
the poems have appeared in Lucid Moon, and they are the stronger ones,
including the last poem, The Demon Child. Brian Daly writes with a wry
sense of humor and a bemused attitude at life and love and sex and hope and
death and dreams. The Demon Child reads: "I break the surface of the
dream and plunge back into real life--–night and the body sleeping beside me
---seized by a bones-jumpin' frenzy. I jump under the sheets and bury my mouth
in her muff. Her hips wake first. What bad boy is this bringing her to life? She
groans, then fumbles in her night stand for a square blue packet. I lie steaming
while she peels the foil and fits on the sticky ring, fisting it down my length
before she lets me enter. Empty, I shrivel in her and pop out---the rubber with
its new weight dangling from my dick like a sick balloon. She retires to
herself, I to the toilet with my prize, plopping it for the white bowl to wash
to the sewers. I stand watching myself swirl and disappear with a final sucking
gurgle, waiting for the smoothness of the restored waters. Lighter by a lot, I
tiptoe past the baby's room in a daze, feeling that I've drowned his
brother." Not all the poems are great, but enough of them work to recommend
this very enjoyable collection. The titles are funny, too. Keep chooglin' and
writin, Brian, we need more of your humour in the small press.
The
Lummox Journal
The
Lummox Journal, Sep/Oct
2001, PO Box 5301, San Pedro, CA 90733-5301, website http://home.earthlink.net/~lumoxraindog/.
e-mail
Next
Stop Oblivion
Next
Stop Oblivion, poetry
chapbook by David Greenspan, 2001, 20 pages, $5 check made out to Butcher Shop
Press, David Greenspan Editor, 30 West St Apt. B, Oneonta, NY 13820, (607)
436-8591, butchershoppress@hotmail.com
. Next Stop Oblivion is a fine collection of poetry with tribute poems about
Garcia Lorca, Jackson Pollack, Leonard Cohen, Jesus, and the victims of Pompei.
The poem There Were Ashes In The Shape Of People Kissing reads: "In
Pompei, a husband returned home to find his simple wife in bed with another man.
After chasing the mysterious man out of the arms of his woman he began to beat
the man out of his wife's thoughts. Two days later, the stranger was, still deep
in the woman's thoughts, the husband's pride was still buried under the
mattress, the sky was still blue for the houses around theirs. When he went to
work the mysterious man would enter the room in the shape of the wind. When the
husband returned he never found a thing; his wife never loved him anyway, some
traditional marriage that does not consider love to be as vital as she would
have wished. At night the stranger became the stars and the husband wondered how
staring at the sky could make his simple wife so happy. Two days later the sky
exploded. The husband was working in a far off town, when he unburied his house
he found his wife in bed alone, her ashes were in the shape of two people
kissing." Often, poet David Greenspan finds the right words or turn of
phrase to make the poem memorable and unique. With a wry sense of humour and
wistfulness, he decorates the poem with a wit and wisdom that is amusing. Highly
recommended.
Over
The Roofs Of The World
Over
The Roofs Of The World, The Barbaric Yawp Interviews 1998-2000, 2001,
60 pages, $5 check made out to John Berbrich, Boneworld Publishing, 3700 County
Route 24, Russell, New York 13684. The complete quote from Walt Whitman is:
"I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, I sound my barbaric
yawp over the roofs of the world." And from over the roofs of the world
comes this fine collection of nine interviews with staples of the small press
such as Mark Spitzer, Errol Miller, myself (Ralph Haselmann Jr.), Bill
Schlondrop, Jennifer Jane Tobkin, Mutang, Jeff Grimshaw, Christopher Jones and
Lindsay Wilson. Most hilarious was the interview with Jeff Grimshaw, who
publishes Crystal Drum and writes a humour column for Delaware Valley
News (Central Western New Jersey). A mock fight almost broke out between
interviewer and interviewee. Also interesting was (if I don't say so myself) my
own interview. Hell, all were interesting to a degree. Buy this handy dandy
collection for a fun, informative look at the small press. And thank God these
interviews occurred before the Lucid Moon/Diarheapunk letters caused a
controversy in the small press and opened up debate about editing! Screw it!
I'll edit my magazines, books and website any damn way I want to, my critics can
go fuck themselves!
Poets
& Writers
Poets
& Writers, magazine
about writing (no poetry), Sep/Oct 2001, $4.95 single issue, subscription
inquiries PO Box 543, Mount Morris, IL 61054. Poets & Writers is an academic
mainstream journal that features interviews and articles with mainstream
writers. You'll never find an underground Beat poet featured, although this
month's issue features an article on the small press. Other features this month
are how to look at a book contract and an article on novelist Jonathan Franzell
(who?). Each issue has extensive calendar events listings, and listings of
poetry grants and poetry contests, and ads, ads and more ads. Brought to you by
the people who publish Poet's Market yearly book of listings. A good
source of info, but kind of boring mainstream hohummery.
Reefer
Madness In The Age Of Apostasy
Reefer
Madness In The Age Of Apostasy, an
analysis by poet Charles Plymell, $5, Butcher Shop Press, 30 West St. Apt. 1B,
Oneonta, NY 13820. This is a thoughtful analysis by Beat poet Charles Plymell on
the ineffectiveness of the War On Drugs, the corruptness of U.S. officials and
DEA officers and the police. Plymell makes many salient points and makes a good
case for the legalization of marijuana, but this will never happen due to our
immature attitudes on drugs, unlike other countries. I read this tract with
fascination and amazement and just shook my head in disbelief at the ineptitude
of our government. You won't find intelligent discourse like this in High
Times magazine, so buy this pamphlet and make a difference!
Scrape
That Violin More Darkly Then Hover Like Smoke In The Air
Scrape
That Violin More Darkly Then Hover Like Smoke In The Air, poetry chapbook by John Gallo,
2001, 20 pages, $5 to John Gallo, Black Spring Press, 63-89 Saunders St #6G,
Rego Park, NY 11374. This is a fine looking chap that opens up to reveal maggots
squirming around in the dirt, for the poems are unpleasant and abrasive, rarely
soaring to heights of poetic beauty. That's not to say the poems aren't good,
they are, they just are dark in their own way. John Gallo happens to be a poet
who pokes through the falsehoods of daily living to reveal the guts working
beneath the surface. For this, he is a brave poet, following his own muse. His
poem Even Pavlov Couldn't Imagine This describes the horror and cravings
of drug addiction aptly: " It's given a little. Then a lot. Enough times so
one becomes used to it, then is snatched away and you're deprived. You are
observed as you writhe like an addict, and just when you think it's finished,
you are given a little more again. Then a lot. Enough times so you become used
to it, then it is snatched away and you're deprived. You are observed as you
writhe like an addict and just when you think it's finished, you are given a
little more again. Then a lot. Enough times so you become used to it, then it is
snatched away and you're deprived. You are observed writhing like an addict…".
Powerful stuff, if you like your coffee black.
The
Nature Of Darkness
The
Nature Of Darkness, A
Collection Of Poems, poetry book by Charles Portolano, 2000, 75 pages, write to
Quill Books, Wyndham Hall Press, Bristol, IN 46507-9460 for price and info. This
is a fine collection of heartfelt poetry that examines what happens when tragedy
strikes and darkness is all around. Charles and his wife have a young daughter
who has many ailments, and he explored that territory in his first book Inspired
By Their Spirits. Here Charles explores further moments of pain and
darkness. All the poems are shaped the same way in a column and are exactly 30
lines. It would have been nice to see different poem forms or unique ideas
expressed instead of such uniformity, for a breather, but overall the quality is
excellent. A Place In The Sun reads: "All of us striving to touch
the sky reaching out over each other we fight pushing our way to any opening
making the most of all opportunities we branch out spouting up wherever a
glimmer of her warm rays shine through we move in unison filing the voids as we
soak in the golden glory without a concern for those under us our roots grow
robbing as much water as possible to ensure success we work both ends even at
the cost of those around us we block their view stopping all progress it means
sharing our source of strength. Charles Portolano never resorts to maudlin
efforts, but keeps his chin up through adversity and faith in God. He is a
trooper and a brother of the road.
The
Temple
The
Temple, last issue of poetry magazine,
Fall 2001, 80 pages, $5 check made out to Charles Potts, Tsunami, Inc, PO Box
100, Walla Walla, WA 99362-0033. Editor Charles Potts has moved on to other
projects, so this is apparently the last issue of The Temple, a fine
poetry journal. Charles writes, "The Temple is over, done, finished,
complete, ended, kaput, toast, history. Like a coyote with too many children, I
grow weary of trying to nourish and attend them all…" The
Temple is a great read and leaves behind a fine legacy. Potts was a tough
editor but always managed to put together great material. Some back issues still
available for $5 each, write for details.
To
The Dawn
To The
Dawn, epic historical poem on cd by
Dave Alber, 22 minutes, 7 parts, 2000, $17 to Dave Alber, 900 E. Hillsdale Blvd
#105, Foster City, CA 94404-2106. This is an epic poem of the history of the
earth and cosmology and man and civilization. It is ambitious, intelligent,
poetic and beautiful, on par with such epics as Octavio Paz' Sunstone and
T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland. We hear David Alber talking about the Big
Bang, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Renaissance and the Age of Science and
Technology, over a musical passage by The Hasta Brothers' Hindi Deff Beat
Factory, which adds a sonic crispness to the mix. The lyrics are thankfully
included, and they shine with detail and a sense of wonder. About the creation
of species, in part III, Alber writes, "On and on, like algebra run amok,
the equation sexes plants and those that eat them. Sex. Sexing and eating,
impulse driven Lifing life forms swim in a FreudioNietzschean sugar plum sea.
Big fish eat little fish who have laughable type A brainstems in which the
observer's eye is imprinted already -- an enemy to be feared. Escape…"
This is a wonderful teaching tool for students of high school age and older, and
it entertains as well as informs. A bright light on the poetry horizon, I hope
to hear more from David Alber.
Please send poetry books, chapbooks, cds, broadsides or whatever for review to Ralph Haselmann Jr. at 67 Norma Road, Hampton, New Jersey 08827. Include price plus postage, who to make check out to, and address to order from. I will review them within 2 weeks and send you a copy of the review. Publishers have my permission in advance to reprint any part of my reviews as long as they send me a copy of what it appears in. The reviews go out to several small press discussion lists, including David McNamara's poetry )ism( list, Doug Holder's list, Kelly DeSaint's list, J.J. Campbell's list and Frank Moore's list, after which they will be archived on my Lucid Moon Poetry Website. My reviews are also picked up by 5 websites, including Al Aronowitz' The Blacklisted Journalist website (http://www.bigmagic.com/pages/blackj), Joe Grant's BookZen website (http://www.bookzen.com/ ), Andre Cordrescue's Exquisite Corpse, (http://www.exquisitecorpse.org), Carlye Archibeque's The Independent Review Site (http://www.irs.theroadlesstraveled.org), Brian Morrisey's Poesy magazine and website (http://www.geocities.com/bmorrise2/) Don Hoyt's Web Writer's Workshop (http://www.webwritersworkshop.com). My telephone number is (908) 735-4447, e-mail ralphy@lucidmoonpoetry.com and my Lucid Moon Poetry Website is http://www.lucidmoonpoetry.com. Please visit my website often and sign my guestbook!
Ralph Haselmann Jr. ##
CLICK HERE TO GET TO INDEX OF COLUMN SIXTY-NINE
CLICK HERE TO GET TO INDEX
OF COLUMNS
The
Blacklisted Journalist can be contacted at P.O.Box 964, Elizabeth, NJ 07208-0964
The Blacklisted Journalist's E-Mail Address:
info@blacklistedjournalist.com
THE BLACKLISTED JOURNALIST IS A SERVICE MARK OF AL ARONOWITZ