Best Western and Other Poems

by Eric Gudas

Poetry. "Like a wine crafted by sturdy Franciscan monks in southern France, bottled by a crack team of Swiss psychotherapists, and kept in a temperature-controlled vault in the sub-cellar, Eric Gudas has been one of my secret favorite poets for a long time. This careful, rich collection makes his playful, anguished, perceptive, and humane poems available at last. BEST WESTERN AND OTHER POEMS is a fine varietal—with hints of cello, playground, and boudoir. This book is full of terrific, distinctive poems, and you will love it. It's that simple"—Tony Hoagland.

Genres: Poetry

80 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2010

Reviews

[Blessing McCarthy]

Best Western and Other Poems presents a distinctive collection that brings together playfulness, anguish, perception, and humanity. Eric Gudas’s poetry, as reflected in the description, appears to balance emotional depth with an imaginative and often unexpected sense of humor.

One of the collection’s most appealing qualities is its range of atmosphere and imagery. The evocative references to cello, playground, and boudoir suggest poems capable of moving between tenderness, intimacy, observation, and more playful moments without losing their literary character.

The collection also stands out for its carefully crafted language and rich poetic sensibility. Rather than relying on a single emotional register, Best Western and Other Poems appears to embrace contradiction—allowing humor and vulnerability, beauty and discomfort, and perception and emotion to coexist.

For readers who enjoy contemporary poetry with personality, emotional complexity, distinctive imagery, and a humane perspective, this collection offers an intriguing literary experience. Its combination of wit and poignancy makes it particularly appealing to readers looking for poetry that can be both thoughtful and accessible.