Poetry Book Reviews

Andrew Chiniche weaves a fictional poetic narrative about love, lust, and loss in Remembrance of Beauty, an experimental story steeped in psychological weight and erotic mystery.

This genre-defying collection of poetry lures readers deep into the story with its poignant subject matter, nebulous language, and philosophical wanderings, though it can be hard to track a discernible plot. The storyline is occasionally a thread connecting this poet’s disparate musings – mysterious houses with too much history, grief-filled men losing the women in their lives, eternal portraits, and symbol-laden figures all create a powerful atmosphere, but not necessarily a complete narrative. […]

Bridging ideas of science, spirituality, depression, friendship, violence, love for humanity, and much more, Short Poems, Long Tales by Rashid Osmani is a wide-ranging collection of poetry.

Osmani’s poetry addresses some of the biggest questions and most unifying elements of life, examining these topics with almost clinical attention. There is curiosity and uncertainty as well – a humility that makes the verses pleasant, comforting, and authoritative, all at the same time. The modern, free-verse approach allows Osmani to let his thoughts stream without obstacle, and while most of the pieces are quite short, a great deal of intention is packed […]

Experimenting with form, content, and emotion, Museum Exhibit by Tom Brown is a surprising, probing collection that runs the gamut from classical odes to modern free verse.

Some of these delicately penned poems resemble snapshot musings of cultures and older times from around the world, flowing smoothly between the Middle East examined in “Pashmina,” to the simple homage of “Philadelphia Highboy,” and the sound of “Virginia’s Violin” in the echoing beauty of the Shenandoah Valley.

Nature, emotion, and philosophy also blend freely in these pieces, as in the poet’s natural worship in “Wildflowers,” with their “exquisite fine art perfuming in […]