Poetry Book Reviews

Review: Entropy Loop & Other Poems by Jeffrey Heath

Entropy Loop and Other Poems by Jeffrey Heath

An ambitious but unassuming collection of quietly brilliant verse, Entropy Loop & Other Poems by Jeffrey Heath runs the gamut of raw human experience, transcending the tropes and familiar emotions of contemporary poetry.

Cascading through visceral recollections of heartbreak tangled in abstract metaphor, these pieces explore the mercurial landscapes of memory. At first glance, it feels as though the author is processing grief and uncertainty right along with each reader, while hesitantly striving toward a more hopeful future. Using simple, accessible language to express profound and existential feeling is the telltale sign of a masterful poet, and Heath demonstrates that […]

2025-10-24T11:52:01+02:00October 24th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

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 Phillips 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 […]

2025-10-22T10:33:44+02:00October 21st, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: La Fête de la Vie by Jacqueline Miller Bachar

La Fête de la Vie by Jacqueline Miller Bachar

A well-curated collection of powerful stories and poetry that celebrate life without ignoring its painful realities, La Fête de la Vie: Stories & Poems by Jacqueline Miller Bachar is a literary testament to human resilience.

The characters that populate these fraught and unpredictable tales often wear strong emotions on their sleeve, unable to contain hard truths that they have been hiding from or holding inside. As the Foreword explains, much of this collection was written while the author was supporting her husband as he battled and overcame cancer; themes of grief, mortality, regret, self-reflection, and a weighing of life’s scales […]

Crossing the Sea of Shattered Glass by R.B. Bunn

Crossing the Sea of Shattered Glass by R.B. BunnPoignant and painful in its clarity, Crossing the Sea of Shattered Glass: A Voyage Through Grief by R.B. Bunn is a powerful collection of poetry that explores the universal experience of regret and loss.

Writing specifically about his uncle’s death and long struggle with addiction, Bunn’s poems range from deeply personal memories and anecdotal reflections to lyrical abstractions with dense metaphors about emotional processing. Pieces such as “Double-Edged Pill” and “The Price of a Bottle” are unflinching examinations of addiction and self-destruction, while “The Fishing Rod” and “Smoke” tenderly peel back the poet’s life and memory, as though longing for […]

2025-05-22T15:12:22+02:00May 22nd, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: Good Pastures by Sylvia Anne Pollard

Good Pastures by Sylvia Anne Pollard

Steeped in contemplation and the solace that only time can bring, Good Pastures: A Place to Feel Ones Deepest Heartaches by Sylvia Anne Pollard is a moving testament to the human spirit and the healing power of the divine. As a devoted mother and a powerful warrior of faith, this resilient poet has alchemized pain into stark and empowering verse.

The loss of a child is an unimaginable tragedy for parents, and the weight of Pollard’s loss is heavy on these pages. The poet’s stated purpose is to transmute the grief over Payton’s death into words of comfort and encouragement […]

Review: Brisk Verse by Garrison Keillor

Brisk Verse by Garrison Keillor

The legendary storyteller of Lake Wobegon, Garrison Keillor, shows his inimitable skills once again with Brisk Verse, an acerbic and entertaining collection of inspired poetry. Simultaneously playful and profound, these clever, hopeful, and wide-ranging poems are imbued with perfect comedic timing and smirking irreverence.

As Keillor explains in the book’s foreword, he’s in the “age of gratitude,” meaning that he doesn’t have time to complain or spend his attention dwelling on the evils and pains of the world. For that reason, this collection isn’t driven by heartbreak, grief, existential crises, or loss, apart from the occasional brutal aside: Life […]

2024-07-29T12:43:00+02:00June 18th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Gracious Nature by Robert J. Tiess

Gracious Nature by Robert J. Tiess

A tender and timely reflection on our beloved planet, Gracious Nature: Poems on Earth and Life by Robert J. Tiess is a poetic love song to the land we so often overlook.

With an unwavering reverence for life that loyal readers will recognize, this latest collection winds from playful and self-reflective to dramatic and dire, acknowledging the awesome power and unexpected fragility of nature. Some of the pieces offer a compelling rhythm and energy, creating a sense of urgency and the raw tension of the natural world, particularly in “The Music of the Wolves” and “Overcoming.” Later sections of the […]

2024-05-22T13:01:07+02:00April 24th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Always Something Heartfelt by Ashton Harper

Always Something Heartfelt by Ashton Harper

A soul-baring collection of melancholy poetry, Always Something Heartfelt by Ashton Harper dives into the poet’s complex journey through desire, romance, and heartbreak.

Harper’s poetry swings from pleading and passionate appeals to broken and bitter reflections, anecdotal memories captured in nostalgic verse, and off-the-cuff pushbacks against unwanted emotions. The poetry matures as the book progresses, expanding into ponderings of negative energy, selfishness, regret, personal responsibility, and mental liberation, but the undercurrent ideas of intimacy and an existential quest for love is consistent. Versatile in tone, form, and energy, Harper is a gritty poet who revels in vulnerable confession.

From a […]

2024-04-03T13:34:16+02:00April 3rd, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |
Go to Top