September 04th, 2020

How do I begin? This is such a great collection of work, it's hard to know how to pinpoint exactly why I loved all of these poems. There are poets who emote on a page with metaphor. I read a few of their poems but never finish the collection, because once you've read one, you've read them all. And I tend to enjoy stories I get lost in.

But this is Tiff Holland. She writes poems you cannot stop reading. Poetry that goes to the center of her heart, her love, her struggles, powerfully, with clarity and charm. These poems are so deep and personal, so wrenching and funny, you feel you're sitting in a room with her as she calls her life out to greet you.

"In some theories of time,
everything is happening at once,
your birth and death and all your lovemaking:
in one corner of the curved universe,
you're playing catch with your brother
in the backyard, wearing the shorts
and matching ball-caps from the photo/on the shelf beside the kitchen window.... "

Yes. But it all happens like this at once  when a poet knows how to grab you and hold you to the pages of her life.
I hope this collection gets attention. It needs to win an award. Brilliant.

Len Joy has penned another one! I like Len's writing because he's mainstream but still small press with a literary style. He should be with a big House, but, unfortunately ageism is rampant in the industry. Don't want to get political, so I'll stop now. I will put up the review I posted at Amazon.com: 

​Len Joy once again delivers his "Richard Russo-ish" small town story that centers around conflicts, intimate friendships, and loss. If you've read Len Joy's first novel, American Past Time, you're familiar with Dancer Stonemason, the main character. Dancer lost his chance at baseball because of an impulsive, short-term focussed decision--go for that one big night, that no hitter. This one night ruined his arm and career, and his life's trajectory reflected that overwhelming loss.

We are now with Dancer all grown up. He's old, grumpy, but still compassionate in that way that makes him lovable and forgivable. Once again, he's dealing with loss—the loss of his beloved son. Loss is a huge hole that seems to be in this man forever. Loss of hope, loss of love, loss of child. He now meets up with a war veteran dealing with all kinds of identity issues and personal conflicts. They strike an unusual friendship that slightly alters each other’s paths.

Actually, the novel develops several complicated characters. The writer moves the camera from story to story, connecting each one with various conflicts. In fact, as a massive storm moves towards the town, with all of impending doom, an emotional storm moves amongst the denizens. Those with short term focus of course suffer the more painful consequences. And unfortunately consequences of one in small towns are consequences of many.

Another fast, well written, novel by a writer who understands small towns and the men who live there.