Poetry. THE MAN SUIT, a darkly comic debut from poet Zachary Schomburg, assembles a macabre cast of doppelgangers, talking animals and dead preside...
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Aug 29, 2008
Kevin
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Schomburg just moved to Portland and I think it's safe to say that he's my new favorite PDX poet. His poems display the playfulness of Russell Edson and the accessibility of someone like Mike Topp. He also employs a cool trick of recurring themes or words that cause a dizzying sense of deja vu. Schomburg is also involved with Octopus Books and the Octopus poetry web site where a lot of fantastic contemporary poets can be found. I would also highly recommend this book for fans of flash fiction, a
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Oct 02, 2011
Mark
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This is "poetry" only in that the texts are brief and enigmatic -- Schomburg never really wrestles with the ambiguity of the English language, or deploys it for musical or aesthetic purposes. It's all basic reporting, just the nutzoid facts, babe.
Damn near every poem begins with an absurd premise ("When I was young, my mother / was eaten by a whale" or "Canada is actually an ocean" -- like that), which he then takes to its natural conclusion, just to se More...
Damn near every poem begins with an absurd premise ("When I was young, my mother / was eaten by a whale" or "Canada is actually an ocean" -- like that), which he then takes to its natural conclusion, just to se More...
Aug 05, 2010
Kent
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I wish the book could be more like the longer poem, "Abraham Lincoln's Death Scene." This is one of the few poems in the book that seems cognizant that any transformation or surreal image could have consequences, and should have consequences. My problem with The Man Suit is that most of the poems seem to hinge their success on a simple unusual statement. "Abraham Lincoln's Death Scene," on the other hand, creates this strange relationship between the anachronistic, the macabr
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Sep 28, 2010
Craig
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First, the odd thing about this book: Though it is marketed as poetry, I very much feel that it is flash fiction for the most part. Many of the pieces here are not interested in any sort of music. (I know this is a slippery slope argument and far be it from me to say what is or is not poetry, but I figured I had to throw that out there as it kind of bothered me.)
Otherwise, I read this collection very quickly and probably owe it another read. Surrealism typically is not my bag, so More...
Otherwise, I read this collection very quickly and probably owe it another read. Surrealism typically is not my bag, so More...
Aug 29, 2009
Stephen
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The Man Suit is a superbly paced book of poems, and would be an excellent blueprint to follow for any poet assembling their own collection of work. Stark, surreal and hallucinatory in all the right ways, had this book been around in the 80s I could have saved myself a lot of brain cells.
With an eerie creepiness informing its generally benign imagery, this book suggests a Man Ray photo exhibition as curated by David Lynch. Lingering a little to long on any one page reveals a depth of More...
With an eerie creepiness informing its generally benign imagery, this book suggests a Man Ray photo exhibition as curated by David Lynch. Lingering a little to long on any one page reveals a depth of More...
Sep 26, 2007
Dusty
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Zach's book seems to place itself somewhere near the difference between impersonation and impostorism. Impostory? Imposture? I think an impersonator is someone we reward for resembling another person, or if not "reward" then "are entertained by." An impostor is someone whose resemblance of another person is not to be trusted and is perhaps to be punished. So the question, given the title of the book, seems to be whether the business of social existence is an impersonation of
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Jan 25, 2011
Mark
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One of the few books of poetry that I feel I could recommend to anyone regardless if they 'like' poetry.
Some parts I liked:
"Here's what else I'll do for laughs: I'll shave my pets and apply fake tattoos that say Born to Raise Hell, or something like that. Or I'll apply fake tattoos to your mother while she is passed out in the street..."
"There is a man around here somewhere, in the woods behind my house, who has a white telephone for a head. He has loud buzzing chai
Some parts I liked:
"Here's what else I'll do for laughs: I'll shave my pets and apply fake tattoos that say Born to Raise Hell, or something like that. Or I'll apply fake tattoos to your mother while she is passed out in the street..."
"There is a man around here somewhere, in the woods behind my house, who has a white telephone for a head. He has loud buzzing chai
Aug 27, 2010
David
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Schomburg writes some of the most unusual poetry that I've ever seen. Perhaps I'm not as familiar with surreal poetry as I should be, but this is an entirely different animal. An animal with radial antennas for horns and the sixteenth century buried in it's tin foil fur. On toast. Schomburg's train of thought is surprising and wild. It's like watching Reagan at a presidential address suddenly do a striptease to the tune of Beethoven's moonlight sonata, you're riveted because what you see is
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Apr 08, 2010
Andy
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Zachary Schomburg's Man Suit is a collection of prose poems but, as with so many of these little small press books, such labels are misleading inasmuch as the pieces here seem to be clear examples of flash fiction. And what hyper-imaginitively surreal and LOL funny work this is! I was completely entertained, frequently amazed even, by Schomburg's off-the-wall and extremely clever whimsical flights of fancy. It's the funnest book I've read in the past year or so and I highly recommend it to every
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Apr 27, 2010
Daniela
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I had to read this for my Creative Writing class a couple of weeks ago and was absolutely blown away. The moment I read the last page, I rushed to Amazon to order another book from Schomburg. For those who appreciate surrealism, it is obvious that the author is an intelligent man with a great command of the English language. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to take the time to really think about it and appreciate its brilliance.
Jan 13, 2012
Crystal
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I liked the whispering tree machines and the white telephone that killed the dinosaurs.
"A blowhole
of blood" was effectively creepy. It would make an excellent opening sequence for some movie.
"Full of Knives" was amusing and odd; its list format, intriguing.
I couldn't get into the imagery or ambience of the rest.
The cover illustration is awesomesauce. It's why I picked up the book.
"A blowhole
of blood" was effectively creepy. It would make an excellent opening sequence for some movie.
"Full of Knives" was amusing and odd; its list format, intriguing.
I couldn't get into the imagery or ambience of the rest.
The cover illustration is awesomesauce. It's why I picked up the book.
Jan 27, 2012
James
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Extremely surreal poetry. I compare it to watching a very violent storm that only gives you peeks at clear sky, but for the most part you must just enjoy watching the storm itself. Quick read, but likely worth going through a few times.
Jun 16, 2010
Autumn
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I love Zach. I've heard him read twice and each time he's signed the same book. We're going to make it a thing; everytime I see him he's going to sign the same book.
**Not a review, I know.
**Not a review, I know.
Oct 30, 2011
Ty
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This book is a little famous and it has a constellation in the shape of a coffin on the cover so I read it before going to some Halloween parties. It's mostly stupid.
Feb 26, 2009
Robin
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Just enough wonder, minimal surreal things that are easy to imagine while riding on the train.
Jun 02, 2011
Brian
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surreal and lovely. one of my favorite poets around. and it's physically a beautiful book.
Apr 07, 2011
Russ
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This guy manages to be abstract without ever being vague, and it just feels SO GOOD to read poetry that is odd and satisfying and still isn't vague. I don't think there is anything wrong with poetry being vague, but it's so cool to actually be able to create direct images of the weird things going on in these poems in my head. I love this. Can't wait to read Scary, No Scary.
Nov 08, 2011
Brian
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i tried to put The Man Suit on over my outsized shoulders. it was lumpy and made me look like David Byrne.
Feb 20, 2010
Jonathan
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I was completely and utterly in love with the book in the first half. The first three sections I was along for the ride. And then it either changed or just became tiresome.
I give it such a high score because I really really liked the parts that I enjoyed.
I give it such a high score because I really really liked the parts that I enjoyed.
Dec 17, 2009
Carrie
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I didn't read this but I saw the movie, I mean I went to the reading. Really funny! So funny I felt confused because I am really not used to laughing.
EDIT: Now I am reading it B/C I found it at the library. yay!
EDIT: Now I am reading it B/C I found it at the library. yay!
Sep 24, 2007
Elisabeth
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So though I'd heard Zach reading from this book for quite some time, I hadn't snuggled up with my own copy yet.
Remember when I took you to see Kansas City?
That was Omaha.
Remember when I took you to see Kansas City?
That was Omaha.
Dec 17, 2009
Jac
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"The Opera Singer" was really richly creative and my personal favorite. This book is fun, strange and encouraging to writers who might not know where what they make will fit in.
Oct 22, 2007
Denny
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Zach is the best writer in the world.
He writes poetry that is awesome to read.
He uses words that are normal words, but he uses them abnormally.
I love Zach.
He writes poetry that is awesome to read.
He uses words that are normal words, but he uses them abnormally.
I love Zach.
