This last Saturday, I spent 40 minutes on a bus to New Jersey listening to the people two rows behind me flirt with each other. The weekend was wonderful (what a funny thing it is to go to parties where your friends have requested bowls and irons as gifts), but I keep going back to my seat on that bus and that awkward flirtation. It was fascinating to me because for 40 minutes two people talked to each other in a suggestive way, sober in the middle of the day, without once mentioning: who they a More...

Promising idea, doesn't get there

The book seems to be an attempt to stake out new poetic space by writing a type of now traditional personal, confessional poetry in an updated beat/hip/postmodern style, all set within the generally neglected (in poetry at least) white working class milieu. The recurring motif is the death of an older brother, alternating with memories of other losses and loves. The approach is a promising one, and the emotions expressed are clearly sincere, but for me, the book More...

First, a review that is harsh on Dickman as a poet and his work: http://www.cprw.com/all-messed-up-g-m...

But I don't think the reviewer has enough poetic sense to place a critical judgment on Mayakovsky's Revolver. What he thinks is the weakest section is fact my favorite, if not the strongest of the entire book. One cannot deny that Dickman's voice is penetrative and can easily speak for itself on the page. One may make reference to Whitman or even Ginsberg when comparing the poets' stylistics More...

Matthew is one of my favorite poets. The way his mind turns lyric blows me away every time. I sat and read these poems at once (which I recommend) and I know I will sit and read them again and again. I only wish he had more poetry...Matthew's work is contemporary, personal, brave, and always true. Truth is writing is vital. I believe he is a leader in a revolution of poetry. READ more poetry people. It is worthwhile, challenging, and connects us with the world and our senses. (Good poetry accomp More...

I bought the book on a trip to Virginia, and started reading it while waiting for a table to become available at a pub in Williamsburg, and I pretty much started crying in the middle of the pedestrian mall. I cry every time. That, I believe, is the mark of a good poet. I'd go on about all the things that make Dickman's poems great -- their rawness, their honesty, their sharp imagery, the fact that their poesy sneaks up on you when you least expect it -- but it would never, ever do these poems ju More...

Ok, maybe I'm biased, but I really thought this book was great. Matthew Dickman is one of my favorite poets but as with any author/band/artist/etc I was a little concerned that his sophomore effort would not live up to the love I have for his first book. This book is certainly different from "All-American Poem," but it shows maturity, depth, and Dickman's signature humor. This book deals a lot with the death of Dickman's brother, among other topics. So, it will probably depress you, but it's tot More...

It feels as if, despite the generally dark familial themes, everything is being (unintentionally) kept at arm's length; a sense of disingenuousness, even. The only felt sincerity sprang from reminiscences of childhood cruelty. More pneuma, fewer forced metaphors (some real eye-rollers here). I hope to read his future collections, because there's promise ("In Heaven," "Gas Station," "More Than One Life," "Elegy to a Goldfish," "The Madness of King George," "On Earth").

Strange sort of coincidence that the day I buy and read a book of poetry by Portland author Matthew Dickman, he also happened to be speaking at the Katonah library. I wish I had known, as I would have attended his reading. Mayakovsky's Revolver is a terrific read - filled with stories of love and grief and a bit of humor. Notes Passed to My Brother is particularly haunting. It is a work I will revisit and I highly recommend it.

Full of melancholy and imagery that frequently quivers to life, Mayakovsky's Revolver is a sturdy well-crafted collection of poems. My favorites are the sweetly romantic Weird Science, the dark childhood depicted in Elegy to a Goldfish, and the amazing (and uplifting) closer, On Earth. Also--lots of cool Portland references throughout.

God, I love Matthew Dickman's poetry. It's like opening a Wonka bar to find a Golden Ticket. It's like being kissed on a rainy night as the drops play a song on the roof. Or like stubbing your toe. Hard. It is sweet and Alive, and sometimes terribly painful.

And not just because I am contractually obliged to like Matthew's book. His wide-eyed sincerity and all its exclamation points are desperately needed in Poetryland.

Dickman is a force of nature. The book is just achingly beautiful from beginning to end. That he's in Portland is just icing - but a tasty icing nonetheless.

Brilliant poetry; in your face and honest. Highly recommend it. Heard him read some of these poems at the LA Festival of Books.

same as before, i wish i had the brains of matthew dickman,...

"Can anything be better than 'All-American Poem'?" Yes. This.

More great poems

From a dazzling, award-winning young poet, a collection that paints life as a celebration in the dark.

At the center of Mayakovsky’s Revolver is the suicide of Matthew Dickman’s older brother. “Known for poems of universality of feeling, expressive lyricism of reflection, and heartrending allure” (Major Jackson), Dickman is a powerful poet whose new collection explores how to persevere in the wake of grief.

Have read some of these poems so many times I've started dreaming about them.