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A Chapbook About Nothing
"As someone who indulges in pop culture references, it’s reassuring to know there are kindred spirits out there. Scott Cumming is one of those kindred spirits. However, you will be able to enjoy the poems within this chapbook, whether you know who Steve Brule is or not. There is something for everyone, and you will enjoy the many layers. I would recommend sitting down with a tasty beverage, this chapbook, some mellow songs playing in the background, and dive in headfirst." - Andrew Davie , author of Dig Two Graves and Ouroboros
A Chapbook About Nothing eschews the thematic tightness of the form bringing you a veritable smorgasbord of poems re-examining pillars of pop culture to remembering the youthful existence of makeshift goal posts. There is murderous mayhem and matters that muddy the mind in the darkest hours of the night. It is a book at once about everything and, of course, nothing.
A Chapbook About Nothing eschews the thematic tightness of the form bringing you a veritable smorgasbord of poems re-examining pillars of pop culture to remembering the youthful existence of makeshift goal posts. There is murderous mayhem and matters that muddy the mind in the darkest hours of the night. It is a book at once about everything and, of course, nothing.
77 pages, Paperback
Published December 27, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 27, 2021
Scott is one of my favorite poets at the moment. His poetry is self-effacing, brutally honest and succinct in what he is stating within the deeper meaning of the poem.
He is a poet to watch out for in the coming years as this debut chapbook is just the beginning, a stretching of the legs before a marathon, I predict.
Highly recommended
He is a poet to watch out for in the coming years as this debut chapbook is just the beginning, a stretching of the legs before a marathon, I predict.
Highly recommended
November 12, 2021
I got a pre-release copy of this chapbook in exchange for an ‘honest’ review and because Scott is my eldest son I’m biased and can give him a 5 star review !!
Scott’s always been an avid reader, much like myself but he had the balls to take the next step and actually write. His inspiration came, I think, from his feelings during the Covid 19 lockdown where both he and his partner Vicky were trying to work from home while at the same time trying to home school their 2 boys. He also got a lot of encouragement from a like minded group of fellow writers, who give mutual support and encouragement to each other via social media platforms. This chapbook consists of new poems plus others that have been published in various other publications. Although I’m a ‘reader’, I usually stick to novels and biographies but because of Scott’s venture into poetry, I’ve also extended my reading boundaries into this medium but with mixed results. As Scott says, I don’t always understand everything he writes about but I do recognise and identify with a lot of the feelings he describes. I also recognise some of the events that he describes which are autobiographical and I occasionally identify myself in some of his work.
I’m sure now that Scott has dipped his toe into the world of writing, I would think this is something he’ll continue to do and where he’ll go from here, who knows ? So do yourself a favour and get a copy and you can boast that you were there from the start !
Scott’s always been an avid reader, much like myself but he had the balls to take the next step and actually write. His inspiration came, I think, from his feelings during the Covid 19 lockdown where both he and his partner Vicky were trying to work from home while at the same time trying to home school their 2 boys. He also got a lot of encouragement from a like minded group of fellow writers, who give mutual support and encouragement to each other via social media platforms. This chapbook consists of new poems plus others that have been published in various other publications. Although I’m a ‘reader’, I usually stick to novels and biographies but because of Scott’s venture into poetry, I’ve also extended my reading boundaries into this medium but with mixed results. As Scott says, I don’t always understand everything he writes about but I do recognise and identify with a lot of the feelings he describes. I also recognise some of the events that he describes which are autobiographical and I occasionally identify myself in some of his work.
I’m sure now that Scott has dipped his toe into the world of writing, I would think this is something he’ll continue to do and where he’ll go from here, who knows ? So do yourself a favour and get a copy and you can boast that you were there from the start !
December 31, 2021
This is the first poetry collection I’ve bought since a family holiday to Ayrshire when I picked up some Burns around 25 years ago.
It’s been a long absence on my part, but by golly: what a way to redress the balance.
Scott has a gift with words- his intricate and precise use of the English language bears comparison with a surgeon, deftly using his scalpel. The care Scott demonstrates and his judgement in getting the balance just right further extend the metaphor.
There were poems in here that made me laugh, there were those that moved me in an emotional way that I’d almost forgotten the written word can and there were those where I felt like I’d just taken a full on jab to the face by a peak-era Tyson such was the impact.
Bravo, Scott- I hope this is the first of many publications!
It’s been a long absence on my part, but by golly: what a way to redress the balance.
Scott has a gift with words- his intricate and precise use of the English language bears comparison with a surgeon, deftly using his scalpel. The care Scott demonstrates and his judgement in getting the balance just right further extend the metaphor.
There were poems in here that made me laugh, there were those that moved me in an emotional way that I’d almost forgotten the written word can and there were those where I felt like I’d just taken a full on jab to the face by a peak-era Tyson such was the impact.
Bravo, Scott- I hope this is the first of many publications!
November 18, 2021
In this new chapbook, Scott Cumming offers a collection of deeply expressive, confessional poems that glide between lightheartedness and heartbrokenness. Even the humorous poems are stitched with melancholy threads, like a man telling a joke while thumbing a razor blade. It’s a delightful collection, scuffed and rough-edged with dark poignancy.
January 1, 2022
Poetry often goes over my head. So imagine my surprise when a year ago Scott excitedly sends a link to a published piece (Skyline) and I think to myself "This is pretty good". Reading that then, I never could have imagined how prolific the last year would be for Scott (and I swear I thought I'd read them all.)
A Chapbook About Nothing is the perfect way to cap off a great year for Scott (or start a new one depending on how you look at it) but what's inside isn't all sunshine and roses. Poems in here were a gut punch whilst others gave me the biggest grin!
So naturally... Yada Yada Yada... I can't wait to keep reading more of Scott's work for years to come!
A Chapbook About Nothing is the perfect way to cap off a great year for Scott (or start a new one depending on how you look at it) but what's inside isn't all sunshine and roses. Poems in here were a gut punch whilst others gave me the biggest grin!
So naturally... Yada Yada Yada... I can't wait to keep reading more of Scott's work for years to come!
January 13, 2022
I loved Scott Cumming's poems in this new collection, full of razor-sharp observations on pop-culture, moments of melancholy and the very relatable frustrations of life during a pandemic. I haven't read as much poetry as I probably should have at this point of my life, and more poems like these will encourage me to continue reading more.
Scott seems like the kind of guy you'd love to sit down and chat to in a pub, laughing at his wit, marveling at the depth of his knowledge, and in his most vulnerable moments, putting an arm around him to let him know it will all be okay.
There is great humour here, a standout piece being the hilarious "Imagine Bob Dylan auditioning for a TV talent show if he'd been born 40 years later", which brought tears to my eyes. For different reasons, "D.C./Dad" also produced the waterworks; this was a beautiful tender moment, of a child as an adult, realising the sacrifices their parent made to keep separate their professional and personal lives. Its impact lingered long with me after I put the book down.
There's really so much to love here, that I will return again and hope to read more of Scott's work soon. Fantastic!
Scott seems like the kind of guy you'd love to sit down and chat to in a pub, laughing at his wit, marveling at the depth of his knowledge, and in his most vulnerable moments, putting an arm around him to let him know it will all be okay.
There is great humour here, a standout piece being the hilarious "Imagine Bob Dylan auditioning for a TV talent show if he'd been born 40 years later", which brought tears to my eyes. For different reasons, "D.C./Dad" also produced the waterworks; this was a beautiful tender moment, of a child as an adult, realising the sacrifices their parent made to keep separate their professional and personal lives. Its impact lingered long with me after I put the book down.
There's really so much to love here, that I will return again and hope to read more of Scott's work soon. Fantastic!
December 30, 2021
To read Scott Cumming’s A Chapbook about Nothing is to understand that one can be a decent human being and a good poet at once. It might even be necessary, despite the outdated enfant terrible stereotype. Contrary to its humble, Seinfeldian title, this wild, domestic, humorous, and imminently readable chapbook is NOT about nothing. Actually, it’s about being a good-but-flawed human in these weird times. Cummings gladly inhabits everyday contradictions and the “incessant demands” of an ordinary life. He understands the complexity of identity—and not just his own. This chapbook is playful yet profound (not that those are in any way contradictions). This is the work of a clever and wise poet.
January 17, 2022
I am so impressed by this debut poetry collection. Don’t let the title mislead you: this chapbook is actually about Everything. What struck me when I first read it was the fact that it covers so many themes in such wonderful detail – the poet’s range is extraordinary. Scott Cumming writes about childhood, adolescence and schooldays, family, fatherhood, love/sex/relationships, mental health, daily observations, music and nights out, and popular culture with wry humour (in poems like ‘The Lost Art of Air-Guitar’), sardonic wisdom (‘A Universal Truth’), and biting clarity (‘No Name #6’). For someone who only recently started writing poetry, the poet’s use of rhyme is tidy, and he commands free verse like a pro.
A Chapbook About Nothing is like a lottery in which every poem is a winner. The imagery throughout this collection is vivid, particular, realistic – the reader can practically place themselves inside the poet’s memories, the emotions within are transplanted. It’s so easy (and such a joy) to become totally immersed in Scott’s style, to be utterly charmed by his humour and candour — you really feel like you get to know the poet personally: by the end, you can’t help but feel you’ve made a great friend.
Personally, I found myself feeling most “seen” by the poems that reference or allude to the poet’s mental health issues, especially the nods to being medicated and feeling detached from the world because of depression. It shouldn’t be taboo, but men’s mental health is still often ignored and widely stigmatised, so I felt strength in the language and such great admiration for Scott in the way he discusses it so openly – poems like “The Daily Battle” and lines like “Couldn’t tell you if I’ve missed / Or added a day of pills” made me feel related to and less alone. It’s refreshing and brave of Scott to tackle difficult issues like mental health, violence, crime, and grief, especially in a debut collection when you’re new to the game.
This is an honest, entertaining collection that is a joy to read and experience. With underlying themes of isolation, disillusionment, anxiety, alienation, (especially in poems like ‘Overtakes Me’ and ‘I look in the mirror’) A Chapbook About Nothing will appeal to the types of outsiders among us who very much -live- and embrace life, but who feel the force of life’s troubles. All of the kudos to Scott Cumming for this fantastic achievement – I can’t wait to see what he does next!
Poem I couldn’t stop thinking about for days: D.C./Dad
Other personal favourite poems: No Name #6 / Fixer Upper / Imagining Bob Dylan auditioning for a TV talent show if he’d been born 40 years later / The Unbearable Being of Lightness
A Chapbook About Nothing is like a lottery in which every poem is a winner. The imagery throughout this collection is vivid, particular, realistic – the reader can practically place themselves inside the poet’s memories, the emotions within are transplanted. It’s so easy (and such a joy) to become totally immersed in Scott’s style, to be utterly charmed by his humour and candour — you really feel like you get to know the poet personally: by the end, you can’t help but feel you’ve made a great friend.
Personally, I found myself feeling most “seen” by the poems that reference or allude to the poet’s mental health issues, especially the nods to being medicated and feeling detached from the world because of depression. It shouldn’t be taboo, but men’s mental health is still often ignored and widely stigmatised, so I felt strength in the language and such great admiration for Scott in the way he discusses it so openly – poems like “The Daily Battle” and lines like “Couldn’t tell you if I’ve missed / Or added a day of pills” made me feel related to and less alone. It’s refreshing and brave of Scott to tackle difficult issues like mental health, violence, crime, and grief, especially in a debut collection when you’re new to the game.
This is an honest, entertaining collection that is a joy to read and experience. With underlying themes of isolation, disillusionment, anxiety, alienation, (especially in poems like ‘Overtakes Me’ and ‘I look in the mirror’) A Chapbook About Nothing will appeal to the types of outsiders among us who very much -live- and embrace life, but who feel the force of life’s troubles. All of the kudos to Scott Cumming for this fantastic achievement – I can’t wait to see what he does next!
Poem I couldn’t stop thinking about for days: D.C./Dad
Other personal favourite poems: No Name #6 / Fixer Upper / Imagining Bob Dylan auditioning for a TV talent show if he’d been born 40 years later / The Unbearable Being of Lightness
December 30, 2021
Cumming is one of the most prolific writers I know, and his sheer passion for poetry shines through in "A Chapbook About Nothing". What strikes me most about Cumming's style, is that he maintains a unique balance between levity and pathos; while Cumming does not shy away from expressing heartbreak and pain on the page, he also gives us permission to laugh at life's absurdities. And this, I think, is one of the things that makes poetry so powerful.
January 24, 2022
Before this year I really hadn’t read enough poetry. Poets such as Cummings have changed that for me. In this book you will find easily relatable content that’s uplifting and humorous, yet never far from the darkness that beautifully draws you in.
January 6, 2022
Scott Cumming's collection acts as a insight into daily worries and trials, as well as reflections on pop culture and even a bit about what it's like to get older and "remember when." A perfect book for a quick dip into poetry when you need it, with an added dash of humor.
January 3, 2022
It’s heartache, a propensity toward violence, thinking better of violence, but sometimes not though. Sometimes doing that tongue in cheek self-aware humor about anger and sadness. Sometimes trying to make whatever you’re feeling digestible enough to find it in other people. It’s Bukowski if he thought before acting. It’s a collision of cultures. If this is nothing, I wouldn’t want it to be anything.
January 18, 2022
Scott Cumming's collection was really well done. He has a way of balancing serious+comical, intimate+universal, and personal+global throughout the chapbook in a way that invites the reader into his life, but also has you considering how these situations relate to your own life. This is a collection you will consume in a sitting and that will have you coming back to pieces you enjoyed over and over. Pick this one up if you haven't yet.
August 26, 2022
A wonderful collection of humor, grief, parenthood, love, mayhem, and memories. Cumming's poetry should not be overlooked.
Also many of the titles are reminiscent of song titles of the early 00s which was just a massive win for me.
Also many of the titles are reminiscent of song titles of the early 00s which was just a massive win for me.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews