Same Diff

by Donato Mancini

Same Diff by Donato Mancini meets at the intersection of contemporary poetry, art, and current politics. Influenced by documentary cinema such as the films of Frederic Wiseman, Dada poets, montage techniques, and a range of modern poets, Same Diff explores the way social and economic histories become imprinted within language itself.

The political and poetic melancholy of our moment is revealed in a long poem on climate change, particularly the disappearance of snow, while the real-life effects of fiscal austerity and poverty are voiced in fragments conveying social neuroses that stem from amplified, unfair competition for basic necessities.

The nonce forms of Same Diff draw attention to their construction and history using monotype fonts, speaking to the surfaces of words and paper, and diverging from a sole focus on meaning.

Each poem introduces a dominant motif that develops through repetition and incremental variations, sourcing language from news-papers, online sources, and overheard conversations to create an emotive effect, as felt in music.

Genres: Poetry

144 pages, Paperback

Published June 27, 2017

Reviews

[Suruchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reads like an art gallery, literally poetry and art in written form. Similar to galleries, there are pieces that speak to you and others that simply don't resonate. Reading this in paperback made me cringe through artistic choices that I understand are intentional but feel unnecessarily repetitive when we consider sustainability as a very prominent focus in today's society. I do think this is worth a read but maybe try to find a digital copy? Or borrow mine XD Another positive is this book was very quick to read - I finished it over a lunch break.

[Isaac Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is gonna haunt me every time i ladle soup yadda yadda

[Greg Bem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donato's return is an exciting repertoire of fantastic and fantastical life-as-large and larger-than-life experiments in language and representation. And yet everything feels chiseled and brilliant, moving, moving, forward, forward. Essential and yet always wanting of more, Same Diff should be read, and should be shared.

[Spektral Notion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book - it was dark and frantic and almost funny. i kept ruminating on this one for a long time, like a jazzy ear worm.

[FlaneurWander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why it's so hard to find this kind of poetry. So cool.