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Wolsak and Wynn - July 15, 2006 - 0 Comments

Worthy of His Fall

Worthy of His Fall by Richard Harrison

Reviewed by Liam Ford

Like the kukri knife that adorns its cover, the poems of Worthy of His Fall by Richard Harrison are keen, precise, and dangerous.  His political poems are not meant to be, nor are they, beautiful: “This is a political poem, so / don’t expect beauty” (“Warnography” 1-2).  Unfortunately, the political poems make unwieldy weapons.  They entrench themselves in the language of the war on terror, name-dropping Bush and Rumsfeld, bin Laden and Hussein.  The language, to use Di Brandt’s words (from the back cover) to refute her own comments, is “militant patriarchal monotheism.”

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Wolsak and Wynn - April 09, 2006 - 0 Comments

Full speed through the morning dark

Full speed through the morning dark by Matthew Tierney

Reviewed by Melanie Maddix

Poetry is an ideal form for writing about travel. Individual poems capture moments and as a collection give the reader a literary photo album of the experience. Full speed through the morning dark, Matthew Tierney’s first collection, documents the poet’s travels through Asia, Russia, Ireland, and Wales. The book is divided into five sections, each representing a particular part of his journey.

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Wolsak and Wynn - April 05, 2006 - 2 Comments

Abandon

Abandon by Oana Avasilichioaei

Reviewed by Kris Brandhagen

Oana Avasilichioaei’s first book of poetry, Abandon (Wolsak and Wynn 2005), begins with a brilliance that is almost impossible to follow. The first section, “Dragon,” builds up a momentum that is difficult to maintain, and the following two sections — “Abandoned Markets” and “From the Diaries of the Dead Daughter” — are a collage of subject, style, and tone that seem to cower in the shadows of “Dragon,” unable to answer the challenge.

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Wolsak and Wynn - February 21, 2006 - 0 Comments

Lean Days

Lean Days by Steve McOrmond

Reviewed by Eric Barstad

Steve McOrmond’s first poetry collection, Lean Days (Wolsak and Wynn 2004), is an engrossing read and one I enjoyed very much. McOrmond’s poetry is familiar, lyrical, and extremely visual; the imagery draws the reader in and captivates the imagination. From dealing with one’s past and escaping one’s hometown to love and separation to meditations on the life of Glenn Gould, Lean Days surprises and delights.

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