I read most of Blake Butler’s EVER during a long wait at a dentist’s office. Blake Butler and a building full of brutish torture devices go well toget...moreI read most of Blake Butler’s EVER during a long wait at a dentist’s office. Blake Butler and a building full of brutish torture devices go well together in some strange way. The disconcertion of empty, repetitious conversations swirling around me; the greenishly tinted television looping infomercial-like gleaming vapidity for veneers or something of the like; the hyper awareness to everything, including occasional peeks and glances by strangers at the pages as I read, themselves filled with strange, bracketed sentences and wildly undone artwork. All seemed like fragments born of the same crackling chaos.
“[ From the light I touched the light. I knew the light grew mold inside me. ]”
I don’t recommend long waits at the dentist's office, but I can suggest that lovers of superb small and artful books, as well as fans of Butler’s other works, give EVER a shot. Calamari Press does beautiful and dirty things to books at a far more reasonable price and with less blood than a dentist visit. (less)
Ark Codex ±0 is a work of art conducted on a multitude of levels, which, to be full appreciated, must be held in the hands; however, it is not somethi...moreArk Codex ±0 is a work of art conducted on a multitude of levels, which, to be full appreciated, must be held in the hands; however, it is not something everyone will appreciate equally. While most would agree the book is an impressive undertaking at the very least, the largest issue for many (the one I’ve seen discussed at almost every recommendation of the book so far) will be whether it is something one is willing to pay the price tag for. Calamari Press has largely taken care of helping potential admirers make that decision by providing a free PDF with a pay-what-you-want model. Say what you will about the ebooks versus print books debate, but it took me all of about four pages to know I needed to purchase a hard copy of this one. I’m glad I did.(less)
In Love with a Ghost is strange music written on shards of broken mirror. In Love with a Ghost is text set in shrapnel, in “teeth skeletal ball-points...moreIn Love with a Ghost is strange music written on shards of broken mirror. In Love with a Ghost is text set in shrapnel, in “teeth skeletal ball-points.” In Love with a Ghost begins with these words:
“Today she is much younger. She is a yearling. An early star. Her lips are the beak of a baby bird. He cups her hands. Makes a bowl with his fingers. She eats from him.”
In Love with a Ghost reads like a small boat on the drunken open sea must sail: with whip and sway, with into and against. I don’t say this isn't a beautiful thing. I wouldn’t. It is.(less)
It seems there are many J. A. Tylers, each with hammers and chisels and methods of distillation they would call their very own. The J. A. Tyler at wor...moreIt seems there are many J. A. Tylers, each with hammers and chisels and methods of distillation they would call their very own. The J. A. Tyler at work between the pages of VARIATIONS OF A BROTHER WAR (Small Doggies Press, 2012) is a careful architect of elegant short sentences presented in sections of 100 words each—three sets per page, each page consisting of a triptych focused on a theme unfolding around Gideon, Miller, and Eliza.
Something in the voice of this collection struck me as being surprisingly fresh; call it an effortless blend of gritty realism with a pinch of near ma...moreSomething in the voice of this collection struck me as being surprisingly fresh; call it an effortless blend of gritty realism with a pinch of near manic surrealism. Or is it near manic realism with a pinch of gritty surrealism? Therein lies the beauty, I guess. In any case, it’s a tightly packed collection of dense imagery and standout lines. Well done, Tyler. And well done, ADP.(less)
Peter Markus has a way with rhythm, syntax, and unadorned language that, when combined in his hands, form dense narratives all at once mythical, bruta...morePeter Markus has a way with rhythm, syntax, and unadorned language that, when combined in his hands, form dense narratives all at once mythical, brutal, beauteous, and deeply touching. I read this title after reading WE MAKE MUD, and I loved the ways in which the two share a sense of connectivity while managing to work wholly independently of one another.(less)
Eric’s work is the sort of work that undoubtedly polarizes readers. His words are a unique world of sound and imagery quite familiar, yet detuned and...moreEric’s work is the sort of work that undoubtedly polarizes readers. His words are a unique world of sound and imagery quite familiar, yet detuned and fragmented in a way that is bound to either excite or disconcert many who approach. In The To Sound, as with many of Eric’s other works, language is twisted and reformed, providing just enough in terms of cues and markers to light the way while leaving more than enough space between them for those who enjoy getting lost.
"The opening narrative of a couple attending a formal party keeps itself obscured just enough never to step with full body into the light, though it c...more"The opening narrative of a couple attending a formal party keeps itself obscured just enough never to step with full body into the light, though it can be heard there wounded and breathing, hoping eventually to be discovered. Its mystery is, in part, what makes the work seem almost inexhaustible."
HOW THE DAYS OF LOVE & DIPHTHERIA is a dense canvas of a particularly dark and intense kind. Its pages are rife with death and disease; with flesh...moreHOW THE DAYS OF LOVE & DIPHTHERIA is a dense canvas of a particularly dark and intense kind. Its pages are rife with death and disease; with flesh and with fire; with ghosts and distrust; with the weight of destruction, longing, suffering, and absolute love in the face of all of this, coexistent on every page.
Ryan has a knack for real-life humor and unflinching sincerity. He does both remarkably well here as he captures and catalogues these snapshots of lov...moreRyan has a knack for real-life humor and unflinching sincerity. He does both remarkably well here as he captures and catalogues these snapshots of love and uncertainty in a trying time. He walks a fine line, I think, and he does it well. But the need to say as much feels something like a betrayal to me. I’m tempted to say this collection is almost irreproachable—that looking too critically into it is to miss the point completely. Surely nothing is beyond a little criticism, but Ryan’s ability to suspend that belief should say more than enough about his work. Just read it.(less)
J. A. Tyler has been a whirlwind of words lately, and that’s a good thing. However, it seems as though WHEN WE might be a gem lost in the frenzy, whic...moreJ. A. Tyler has been a whirlwind of words lately, and that’s a good thing. However, it seems as though WHEN WE might be a gem lost in the frenzy, which is a shame if true. This is J. A. Tyler doing what I like best about J. A. Tyler: Heady prose poems built on legs of sturdy bone and song.(less)
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