Brautigan’s Blue Moon by Jack Phillips Lowe

A poetic catalogue of observations and musings from deep within memory, Brautigan’s Blue Moon by Jack Phillops Lowe is an unassuming and original collection.

Channeling a conversational, storytelling style of verse, these poems comprise a kaleidoscope of style, seriousness, and ideas, exploring modern life, the pursuit of creativity, and the timeless experiences that unite us. Eclectic poems weave through nuanced emotional themes, from the silent artistry of motherhood and the survivor’s guilt of domestic migrants to the twisted closure of outliving your enemies and the importance of staying humble and present.

Lowe also pays tribute to the titular titan of this collection, Richard Brautigan, inserting a few poetic monologues and snippets of social commentary that feel gleefully post-modern. Whether contemplating the meaning of his mother’s hidden passions, critiquing the surreality of the modern media landscape, or reflecting on the loss of an idol, these free-verse pieces share a contemplative depth. There are scattered moments of uneven writing, such as the underdeveloped flow of “Masks,” but the tone and quality are consistent overall, swinging thoughtfully between whimsical and wise, and peppered with incisive flashes of both nihilism and hope.

Raw and sharply penned, this collection is quietly formidable, armed with visceral scene-setting and gut-shot closing lines that linger long after moving to the next striking piece.