Letters to Guns

by Brendan Constantine

Letters To Guns represents a collection of poems that examine the para-physical natures of love and history, at times re-imagining both. As the poems progress, eight letters arrive written by non-human addressees (a nightgown, a grove of trees, a wooden spoon, others) at random points over the last 2,200 years. They are messages from home and pleas for understanding, warnings and promises of change. These in turn ignite other poems and themes which anticipate the next arrival. Taken together, the letters form an armature, a living skeleton fleshed by real and metaphenomenal experience. Throughout, a variety of styles appear and no single approach to poetry pervades. Singly, these poems should challenge and entertain. As a group they must transform and evolve our experience of sitting down with a book of poems.

Genres: Poetry

80 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2009

Reviews

[Jamey]

This book is very strange and I love it. It makes sense, therefore the poetry is not fake (hear that, you emperor penguins without feathers?). It's also beautiful, playful, and --when it wants to be-- deep. As God said to St. Augustine, "Take it and read, take it and read..."

[Peter Landau]

Who says it's harder to write about what you like than it is about what you hate. I like Brendan Constantine. When I read his poems it's easy for me to imagine him reading them, maybe because I saw him do just that, but maybe because his poems are theatrical. Arms are meant to cut through the air and emphasize a line. The face is meant to deadpan the humor coming from the mouth into the mind. As tempting as it is to stalk Constantine and force him to read poetry, I suggest reading the pages he has carefully constructed to convey his unique vision. You know, it is hard to write about what you like, but it's a breeze to write about what you love.

[Martin Ott]

This book and Brendan's poetry is a revelation. Feel like a dolt that it took me this long to read a full book of one of LA's premier poets. Read this book - it hits on multiple fronts.

[Lawrence Berger]

I just got the book today! (Sorry it took so long folks!) I could not put it down till I finished it! However, I must confess to being slightly disappointed. Largely I think because I have had the privilege of getting “The full Brendan Constantine Experience!" by being able to see him Perform live on several occasions. He is by far the most talent artist I've ever encountered and I had expected the poems to literally "jump off the page" as if written by the hand of God himself (Like the Ten Commandments in the Charlton Heston epic of the same name.) I had no doubt if anyone would be able to pull off putting the same Energy and Ability as Brendan had shown in his performances on to the page and make it come just as alive on paper it would be him! But I guess that's on me! Letters to Guns does in fact do a good job of conveying Brendan's Talent and voice, The only way I can offer a comparable Is to ask you to imagine the following: What would happen if : Bukowski, Tennyson, Robin Williams, Andy Kaufman, and Frost had decided to get together and compose a poetry book. and What if by the time they'd gotten to about page twenty they all died and the left it to their "poetry protégé" to finish their book manuscript. (Most run about 80 pages) Now imagine that the Protégé had already developed his own voice, read internationally and developed to the point where he was not only nominated as poet of his home state but widely considered to be the poetic equivalent of : Horrors Steven King, Sci/fi's Gene Rodenberry, and Romance's Daniel Steel . Would they be? I can tell you that after reading this you'll agree that the book would be called Letters to Guns and the poet would be named Brendan Constantine! I can only think of two reasons not to get this book:
1. You’re in the hospital on life support and paying for the machines keeping you alive is draining your resources.
2. You just died and after paying the medical and funeral expenses the executors of your estate found that there would be insufficient funds to buy the book as a legacy for your heirs.

THERE SIMPLY ARE NO OTHER ACCEPTIBLE REASONS!

NOT TO EXPERIANCE BRENDANS WORK IS A HELL I WOULDNOT WISH ON ANYONE! GET YOU COPY NOW!

[Chrissie]

This is the first of Brendan Constantine's books of poetry. It is a stunning and wonderful blend of humorous and passionate poetry. Some of it seems to flow from a brilliant somewhat eccentric mind and others are surreal. In all of them Constantine has something to say, you will find it.

Brendan Constantine uses poetry with a fierce passion and tackles difficult issues with imagery and metaphors that can leave you breathless. To read his poetry is to be intrigued, taken on journeys to places you never knew existed, bewitched. He is the master of language and words.

My only question is the use of 'Leibshin' in "Letter VI''. It is a literal translation from German, and somewhat lovely in it's backward English grammar. 'Leibshin' is not a German word, although I realise it is mean as 'darling'. If it is Yiddish I cannot find it.

Read and feast. This is wonderful and I don't understand why Constantine received unpleasant letters. It is a joy whatever one's politics.

[Red Hen Press]

Letters To Guns examines the para-physical natures of love and history, at times re-imagining both. As the poems progress, eight letters arrive written by non-human addressees (a nightgown, a grove of trees, a wooden spoon, others) at random points over the last 2,200 years. They are messages from home and pleas for understanding, warnings and promises of change. These in turn ignite other poems and themes which anticipate the next arrival. Taken together, the letters form an armature, a living skeleton fleshed by real and metaphenomenal experience. Throughout, a variety of styles appears and no single approach to poetry pervades. Singly, these poems should challenge and entertain. As a group they must transform and evolve our experience of sitting down with a book of poems.

[Brian]

A very good collection in general, but "A History of Sympathetic Navigation" is genius, exactly what I love to see from a poet.