From the Margins

From the Margins

So I’ve had the pleasure of receiving a review copy of From the Margins by Nathan Moore. Before I was approached, I really didn’t know who the poet was or who the publisher was. But that’s the great thing about indies, discovering the unknown, and this was well worth the find.

Poetry comes from all sides of the universe, whether it’s from a bar napkin, a receipt, or from our own personal diaries. It’s an art that just can’t be contained to one strict source. Poets are mad this way, constantly butchered by the muses to get out the new thoughts they’re tossing inside your skull. It’s simply beautiful. The author notes in the summary that he was “looking through some old notebooks from high school and college and I was shocked to see that on almost every page there were poems scribbled in the margins.” Essentially finding your art in the oddest place. Everyone’s art is somewhere, in this case it was literally the margins and junk mail. This book is a deep exploration of poetry from scrap and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It’s a large collection, just about 234 pages filled with vivid poems and raw ink drawings. You really get a feel of how exposed and open the author puts themselves as your move forward with the work.

I will say, if I had to sit down, one on one with the author, my biggest piece of advice would be to avoid clichés at all costs. Clichés, although can be important in some situations, really aren’t meant for poetry. It really detracts from the core of your work. It’s a bit too easy. As a poet you want your words to take knives and twist around inside your readers. Make it something that’s worth it, they’ll remember it by the end that’s for sure.

From the Margins was definitely an enjoyable read, and one that I would recommend to any lovers of poetry. Nathan opens himself up to a lot in this collection, using poetry from a pretty lengthy timespan. It’s a solid collection and one that will keep your attention. You can find out more information on this book through Pandamonk Publishing (Love that name, by the way). From the Margins is available through the publisher as well as through Amazon and Barnes N Noble. Enjoy poetry lovers!