Big Hammer 20

by Dave Roskos

Poetry Magazine founded in 1988, published by Iniquity Press/Vendetta Books, edited by Dave Roskos. This is issue #20. Winter 2019. Contributors Jen Dunford Roskos, Angela Mark, Michael Shores, Helen Hoyt, Olga Cabral, Bree, Anthony George, Joe Weil, Jim Cohn, Lamont Steptoe, Rick Kearns, D.r. Wagner, John Lunar Richey, Michael Pingarron, Matt Borczon, Dave Church, Kell Robertson, normal, Andy Clausen, Pamela Twining, Cliff Fyman, Tom Obrzut, Donald Lev, Matt Borkowski, Miriam Halliday Borkowski, Eugenia Borkowski-Sypherd, Mary Elizabeth Borkowski, Dwyer Jones, Kevin Hayes, Chris Stroffolino, Alan Catlin, Allen Johnson, Stuart N. Ross, Charlie Mosler, Andrew Gettler, Arturo Desimone, Neeli Cherkovski, Paul Sohar, Istvan Eorsi, Adolf Wolff, Hilary Krzywkowski, Tom Kryss, Alex Gildzen, John Burroughs, Joel Lewis, Bob Rixon, William Taylor Jr, Beth Borrus, Mary Dacorro, Nourish Cruz, Allison Baldwin, Emily Vogel, Rebecca Schumejda, Ingrid Swanberg, Loring Hughes, Lotus Baby, Frances Gregg, Bertha Sanchez Bello, Charles Joseph, A.D. Winans, William Wantling, Dave Roskos, Fenton Johnson, Jakima Davis, Yictove aka Eugene Turk, Christopher F. Brown, Lorri Jackson, Misa Levey, Joe Davidson, Sheryl L. Nelms, Jeff Maschi, Arnold Skemer, Joe Roarty, Marc Olmsted, Kevin Ridgeway, Henry Dunlevy, Anthony Bernstein, Seth Howard, Lonnie Monka, Larry Marshall, Helmut C. Calabrese, Jake St John, Tom Weigel, Joel Dailey, Gillian G. Hiscox, Gregory Schwartz, Jeffrey Grossman, John Bennett, Albert Huffstickler, M. Kettner, Ed Galing, Michael Estabrook, Mather Schneider, Jonathan Church, Catfish McDaris, Kurt Nimmo, Ron Androla, David S. Pointer, Doug Draime, Mike Faran, Ed Sousa, Ken Greenley, Joe Haskins, Richard D. Houff, Bart Solarczyk, Scott Silsbe, K.W. Perry, Paul Brooks, Scott Roskos, John Dorsey, Damian Rucci, Carl Kaucher, Calvin Kaucher, Brenton Booth, Bob Kaufman, Russell Salamon. A REVIEW OF BIG HAMMER #19: "Much of the poetry seems to have an elegaic quality for the passing of the human species, if not the earth as an ongoing, near-future prospect. Simple, declarative lyrics. Many full-page drawings, often fantastic or surreal--some cartoonish--as well as collages and fancy borders for some poems. There are blows against the literary establishment, the modern elites, the ruling class, their greed and heartlessness. Little tales of suffering--of love gone missing or awry. Here's one by Mather 'I watch a fly land on the counter / sucking on a drop of something sugary / I think of cute Billy Collins / buzzing around his house on espresso // then squash it flat / as the Hudson Review' Ooh. Good one." by Phil Wagner in ICONOCLAST

305 pages, Paperback

Published January 10, 2019

About the author

David Roskos is a people’s publisher, he’s from the old school where you still use a printer and old-fashioned ink, and staples, and wrinkled poems that come in via the mail, and the poems in BIG HAMMER reflect a vision of America that is unfathomable to those in the suits & ties and even those with the ponytails and the birkenstocks. His poems are written by auto mechanics and plumbers and ferriers and people who know the difference between fuel injection and carburetors. Who still find old tires on the side of the road with some good tread still left on them and know how to get them on the rim and tie a come-along belt to cinch it to get the air in (use soap). David Roskos loves poetry and loves making books and loves the written word and he does something about it… - Mark Weber (Zerx Press).

Reviews

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a great representation of the small press/fiercely independent poetry scene, Big Hammer is your thing.