PAIN: The Board Game

by Sampson Starkweather, Jon-Michael Frank (Illustrations)

I am of my times and you screengrab out of ancient nowhere, the title of one of the poems in Starkweather's second collection, PAIN: The Board Game, perfectly capture both his utter contemporariness and his empathetic treatment of our most primal conditions: "dis- / appointment / & misery / & helplessness / & suffering / & pain / & fear."

As he deploys the #trending and vintage lexicons of technology and pop culture with the depth and ease of a true lyricist, Starkweather pushes his poems into the territory of universal affect and risky humanity, to the root of our desire to connect. This is the contemporary poem that, just after it has "Shazamed / your orgasm" resurrects "the rough magic / of bodies / illuminating / the lack / of any / limitation / when one." Starkweather's unyielding, funny, luminous poetry is a brand new classic.

Also includes 15 color illustrations by artist Jon-Michael Frank.

Genres: Poetry

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2015

Reviews

[D.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book at the Book Passage location in the San Francisco Ferry Terminal, and I have subsequently purchased 4 more copies to give to people as gifts. The design of the book is perhaps the first striking thing about it; handsomely printed with a cover that echoes "Life," the popular boardgame of the 1960s. Some of the poems have titles that are animated gifs; other poems include emojis, the language is right up to the minute in its references to pop culture, technology and the ways they interface. In short, Starkweather is building out his poems as extensions of the contemporary culture, both in content and in design. The poems are loud, funny, mock-moody, electric and yes, even moving. I don't always think they're the best poems. But the risk of them, the edgy, nerdy darkly comic world of them is so oddly original, I'm inclined to forgive those moments where the language might sag or peter out. Those moments are rare, really. Mostly, I find myself reading these poems and smiling both at the chutzpah of their style and at the big kick in the pants that this book constitutes in relation to contemporary poetry. If I were given enough time on this planet, I guarantee that I would make each and every person read at least one poem by Sampson Starkweather and I'd guarantee the experience by vowing to eat a bug if the reader really felt no passion for poetry after being exposed to such a force of nature. If you can't find it at your local bookstore, buy it online. I have a habit of buying in-store copies when I see them, so if you're lucky enough to find one yourself, squirrel it away so you'll have it to read on the toilet or at after-parties. Great poems to share with friends

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another ambitious collection by one of my favorite poets, Starkweather's Pain: The Board Game is full of modern existential angst (peppered with retro references), sometimes so dark it gets kind of cute ("Xeroxing is as close/as I come/to actual light"). The Pain section has a lot of killer lines in it as you'd expect from Starkweather, and the last section, Until the Joy of Death Hits, features his narrow short line style that I love ("better bunny down/a poetics of autocorrect/won't save you"). Oh, and there are GIFs and sweet-ass funny art by Jon-Michael Frank!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkly funny and irreverent this collection poeticizes watching vintage porn, the love between Godzilla and Mothra, and finding the perfect GIF, all summed up by the nihilistic Kaur-esque epigram: "what do we want? nothing! / when do we want it? never!" Loved it.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. Also check out The First 4 Books of Sampson Starkweather. His imagery is amazing. I'd say more but it would just sound dumb compared to what he says in this book. Just read it, okay? It's also a beautiful book in a physical sense. Great illustrations. Not that I'm saying you need pictures, but hey they're here if you want them.

[Guiri de Las Montañas]

DNF after multiple idiotic sex references and a poem titled “cutting off your penis is like suicide for pussies”…………….
This is why I don’t read cis/white/straight male poetry.

[Benjamin Niespodziany · Rating 4 out of 5]

For many years, I’ve owned and cherished Starkweather’s The First Four Books of Sampson Starkweather (2013), a 300 page tome of his writing, but it wasn’t until hearing him read on Zoom earlier this year that I (finally) tracked down Pain: the Board Game. It’s a book that tackles depression and daily struggles with jokes and outbursts and vents. This book feels like therapy for the author, and it’s one I found therapeutic to read. I’m looking forward to whatever it is Starkweather releases next.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably cuz I got my copy used a few years after it came out I wasn't able to get in the website/scan the QR codes. The well written poems still make it an enjoyable analog read