Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Paige Johnson's Reviews > HSTQ: Summer 2023

HSTQ by Arthur  Graham
Rate this book
Clear rating

by
9304098
's review

liked it

Meta start about making a trashy book you think no one will read and then being outcast for it. "Shoulda used a pen name. But I never name my pens." Cute, relatable. Then about some Pope and other men made of slime. High brow diction despite the dickish subject matter. Then chasing the dragon w/ Early Morning Cocktails. I'd read more by this George Gad Economou. He bends common phrases and sentiments to give them life again.

Following it is another God poem by somebody else also w/ a seemingly Scottish sensibility: rough around the edges but fine to throw back pints w/ for a story. Could be read as very strange rap, like by Rickety Cricket when he still had a lick of faith and a brain cell not smoked away on PCP. This issue is def more mythological/horrory, word-heavy.

Light a Candle at 58 has the great imagery of twins falling in tandem, hands locked, off a bridge. Eastern Ave. Arcade reminds me of what could be the music video to American Whore meets Ride by Lana Del Rey. Much grizzlier though, of course. I'll def be on the lookout for more by PW Covington.

The next two poems have your expected nihilism for the modern Western man. My First Book signing has a wisp of something Bret Easton Ellisy about it w/ the hypersex and violent comedy of it all, tonguing a ketchup packet like it's a chick. I thought the joke was gonna be how Naomi backwards is I Moan. The style is very millennial, like if Punpun could text.

Three Ways by Jay Maria Simpson def wins for prettiest poem w/ liquid silk rivers and sugary-sharing tarts, the poetic connection between mind and body. Karl Koweski really made me laugh w/ a piece about how there are no poets in Hollywood and even if there were, they don't deserve the starlets they could scoop up.

I don't get any of the refs in Mt. Olympus but know others would and it could find a home in the pop culturey Daily Drunk. There's something about getting older then it not being too bad if you have porn while your lady's at Walgreens, lol. Jane of the Jungle by Casey Renee Kiser uses one of my fav images, "swirling drain heart." A line that will resonate w/ many is "Can’t commit, can’t decide on anything except to hold back." I like calling out their mothers. Everyone says the opposite, but mothers don't get called out enough. You raised them, of course you're a big part of who to blame.

We end with late nights under a lamp post, panty sniffers, and mushroom potions drank by who sounds like the eclectically crazy/trolly Grimes. "Star of storms" saints, the penultimate stanza jade egg elegant.
2 likes ·  âˆ� flag

Sign into Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to see if any of your friends have read HSTQ.
Sign In »

Reading Progress

September 20, 2023 – Started Reading
September 20, 2023 – Shelved as: to-read
September 20, 2023 – Shelved
September 20, 2023 – Finished Reading

No comments have been added yet.