Erratic Sleep in a Cold Hotel

by Marie Kazalia

In this collection of 46 poems, Marie Kazalia, whose work has been described as "hellmouth candids," offers a vivid reality of a disengaged life through sometimes disturbing yet intriguing images of a woman immersed in the urban struggle, faced with compromising accommodations in run down hotels in San Francisco's Mission District, encounters with street derelicts, homelessness and her own sense of sexuality. The poems capture with poignant vitality the observations of the author as she readjusts to American life on her return to San Francisco from 4 years as an expatriate in the Orient. Like black and white photography these confessional poems explore, without contradiction, the reclusive and sacred, elements akin to the struggling class. They will draw you into a world that is frighteningly beautiful and deeply personal.

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

This collection comes across more as punk posturing than anything.

I'm absolutely fine with literary punk posturing if one has a deep love of language (and is making a valiant attempt to prove that they do not), but there just doesn't appear to be anything here that shows a love of the language at all.

I admit, I also give up on a book much more quickly if there is poor editing involved. Spelling mistakes should be caught before publication. Yeah, I know that makes me an elitist prick but so be it.

I hate being this evil, but this collection just felt like a waste to me personally. If you're into 90's post-Bukowski indie poetry, you may like it a whole lot more than I did.