Fireball

Fireball is the second book I’ve read from Charles Joseph, as well as the second book I’ve read from Indigent Press, and I’m equally happy with both the publisher and the poet!

Charles Joseph is back, and he’s beating the fuck out of all his readers with his latest chapbook, Fireball. I recently did a review of Joseph’s chapbook Temporary Obscurity which also featured B. Diehl. That book was my first encounter with Joseph’s work and it’s pretty much left me wanting more. As you can imagine, I pretty much devoured the digital copy that was sent to me.

Charles Joseph starts the book out with a piece called The Return of Kid Lightning, which addresses a man from Texas who had given him some pretty nifty compliments, AKA me. Which is pretty cool to be honest. I like how the poem addresses the struggles with creativity, its irritating ebb and flow that’s inside all creators. When the muses are pissed with you, you know it. They’ll suck out the juice from your fingers and leave you dried up until they’re satisfied in their punishment. Although the muses are some the greatest friends to writers, they can be demons to us at times. Return of the Lightning Kid sparks fire for the whole chapbook. It’s the strike of a match that leads to a whole forest fire by the end of the book.

The thing I love most about Joseph’s work is that it feels real. The pages within are insecurities, frustrations, life and everything in between. It knocks you down into the concrete with each page. It’s a good ride, and one I plan on reading again. Fireball is definitely a recommended book to read. 

The No You Never Listened To

Meggie Royer is back with another astounding collection of poetry. The No You Never Listened To was recently released through Words Dance Publishing, and it is her best work yet. Royer has a way of really twisting the reader’s emotions through her words. There is not a moment in this collection that does not get to you in some way.

The No You Never Listened To is a journey. It’s an essential journey; a journey of healing and understanding. It’s a collection I feel is one of the most important collections the literary world has to date. Royer’s intense style grabs us through the pages and educates us on the trauma of sexual assault and the culture of victim blaming. She does not hold back, as well she shouldn’t hold back. She is brutal. She is honest. Her words are a great comfort to many people out there.

This collection is really commendable, and I’m happy to have this on my bookshelf. You can find out more about this author at their blog Writings for Winter. The collection can be found on Amazon, as well as through the publisher, Words Dance Publishing. Meggie is definitely a hard working individual and her latest book is well worth the money.

Temporary Obscurity

So I received a copy of Temporary Obscurity by B. Diehl and Charles Joseph. It was fairly easy to order online, and only $5. Temporary Obscurity is a pretty short chapbook of poetry blending works from both authors. The table of contents should help the reader distinguish who wrote what poem. Honestly, I didn't even think of who wrote what when reading it. I noticed style changes and such, but it wasn't as important as the experience the combination was giving. The chapbook makes you lose yourself for a bit. You're thrown into their world, and it's not half bad.

I've never heard of Charles Joseph, though he is now a poet that I intend on following. B. Diehl I've only known through twitter and a few of his posts on facebook, though I'm not sure I've ever read anything of his. They're both stellar poets and the book really does speak for itself.

You're only with them for a short time, but fuck that's one awesome time. The title is like a warning sign in a way. You're not sure what you're getting yourself into. You're given a small, saddle-stitched booklet (which is a damn good print job, kudos to the printer) and forced to make the decision to a gamble. Enter the unknown and see what it does to you or play it safe and leave it on the coffee table for guests to see. You won't be disappointed if you enter though.

B. Diehl and Charles Joseph are promising poets. I'm interested in seeing what they have planned for the future, whether it's another collaboration or a seperate collections. Either way, the next project is something I'm sure we'll be thrilled to see. You can check them out at the information below. Buy a book too, it's only $5 and one hell of a read!

http://www.mynameisb.co

http://www.charlesjosephlit.com

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!

A Black Wave Commeth

This time I got the wonderful experience of reading a fresh chapbook by Scott Thomas Outlar, A Black Wave Cometh. I don’t much experience with this author’s work aside from publishing one of his poems in my Degenerates anthology, but after reading the manuscript I can tell this dude’s got some immense talent.

A Black Wave Cometh, is beat poetry at it’s finest. It’s existential and will mesmerize its readers with several hard-hitting images. It’s a book you really won’t want to put down aside from taking a breath after wholly immersing yourself.

There’s a lot of poetry out there, and most don’t know when to actually stop; that doesn’t really understand what it means to get your point into a few short bursts of inspiration. When you’re writing poetry, being concise is really key. Scott’s collection is a great example of what it means to attack readers with tight and gut-punching lines, twisting our experiences and spitting us back out when it’s finished. It’s a great ride, and one that was thoroughly enjoyed.

You can find Mr. Outlar's collection at Dink Publishing!

Twisted Love & Hot Sex

C. Lynn Carden AKA Happy Daze Poet is a talented and one of the most influential poets I have had the pleasure of meeting. She is a people’s poet, inviting every day individuals to take part in her writing process through her facebook group. Connecting and writing poems for everyone, Happy is enthusiastic and truly devoted to her readers and her writing.

I met Happy Daze at an open mic and later asked her to take part in an interview for a poetry documentary still filming today. As I had just started my press at the time, I was thrilled to take on a project from her regarding the tough and emotional topic of domestic violence. We worked with MVP Management to blend poetry and photography together to create a solid journey for the readers.

I was ecstatic to learn that she had published a second poetry collection, featuring photos by MVP management. The collection is titled, Twisted Love & Hot Sex, which blends wonderful photography with hard hitting and well written poetry. The topic? Exactly as the title says, Twisted Love & Hot Sex, released before valentines day to get lovers in the mood.

No punches held, this collection goes all out and will leave you breathless. The collection hosts a mixture of tame love to down and steamy fun, with appropriate pictures to help set the tone of each work. This collection is for lovers of all kinds, whether you enjoy hot BDSM sessions or a nice cuddling moment on the couch with your partner. There is a poem here for everybody, which says a lot. You don’t often find universal collections of poetry, but Happy really makes an effort to include people from all backgrounds. Twisted Love & Hot Sex is definitely a recommended read, and a fun experience for all readers!

Tales of Music

It is no stretch of imagination to say that the world could not thrive without music. It’s what keeps the people going, that soulful artform that knows exactly what mood to hit or what itch to scratch. Without music, we would probably be aimlessly wandering in some mundane lives. There would just be something lacking to the world. So it was a joy to pick up an anthology that focuses its collection on the theme of music and how it can affect the world around us.

Recently, I purchased a copy of Tales from the Guild: Music to your Ears, a furry anthology featuring eight short stories around the topic of music. Now, to those who don’t know what Furry Literature is, it is essentially fiction featuring anthropomorphic animals (AKA Humanized Animals). I won’t lie, the furry writing community has not been something I have been following for awhile, though I have been a silent observer writing poetry in my little corner of this particular world. Tales from the Guild is an anthology put out by the Furry Writers Guild, a guild that seeks to “support, inform, elevate, and promote quality writing and writers of anthropomorphic fiction.” They help several furry writers with publishing opportunities and advice for writing, and are a wonderful resource that authors of furry fiction should look into.

I suppose one should say that you could really feel the music in this collection. Although each piece went off in its own direction with the theme, there was a unity in the collection that made the experience rather enjoyable. Anthologies are difficult to manage as you have maintain the ethos of the collection, but I found no issues here. Transition between the works was well managed, and the selections were very well written and memorable. Which isn’t something I come across too often in anthologies. Usually I find a few good stories or poems and forget the rest, but with Tales I felt that every story had a good amount of value to the collection. There were no placeholders.

Tales from the Guild is an excellent introduction to the world of furry writing, one I would highly recommend. Having knowing a little bit about the community, I found this book to be inviting and fun, and I’m sure other readers are likely to get the same experience out of it. You can purchase a copy of this collection through Rabbit Valley, which also shelves a Weasel Press title. If you’re interested in learning more about writers of furry fiction or to get a good introduction of that world, visit the Furry Writers Guild!