Poetry and About Poetry

“A lie ain’t a side of the story; it’s just a lie.” From the first episode of The Wire .

IO Literary Journal has accepted 2 of my poems for publication in their inaugural print issue.

Punishment by Nancy Miller Gomez My rating: 5 of 5 stars Whenever I begin to read a collection of poetry, I hope for that feeling of a wind in my chest, that the “top if my head is taken off.” This small collection by Nancy Miller Gomez did that for me. At only 9 poems and 2 short autobiographical prose pieces, “Punishment” has more power than many other, much longer collections. Gomez has translated her experiences teaching poetry in prison into vital, living verse, without in any way betraying or making maudlin the essential reality of those incarcerated. Her poetry flares with beautiful imagery: “The iridescent scream of a sharp-shinned hawk/circling somewhere in the pastel wash/of afternoon air.” “Or heartache—the darkening hurt/that feels like all the colors crushed/into the one you see shimmering/when you close your eyes.” “…an unexpected hole/in the sky where the moon has moved on.” It is heartening to read as the prisoners “gather these images like kindling/to try to igni...

Punishment by Nancy Miller Gomez My rating: 5 of 5 stars Whenever I begin to read a collection of poetry, I hope for that feeling of a wind in my chest, that the “top if my head is taken off.” This small collection by Nancy Miller Gomez did that for me. At only 9 poems and 2 short autobiographical prose pieces, “Punishment” has more power than many other, much longer collections. Gomez has translated her experiences teaching poetry in prison into vital, living verse, without in any way betraying or making maudlin the essential reality of those incarcerated. Her poetry flares with beautiful imagery: “The iridescent scream of a sharp-shinned hawk/circling somewhere in the pastel wash/of afternoon air.” “Or heartache—the darkening hurt/that feels like all the colors crushed/into the one you see shimmering/when you close your eyes.” “...an unexpected hole/in the sky where the moon has moved on.” It is heartening to read as the prisoners “gather these images like kindling/to...

Heron Tree has published my poem “ Brittle ” online as part of its visual poetry issue.

Heron Tree has published my poem " Brittle " online as part of its visual poetry issue.

It is truly an honor that three of my poems are included in Issue #14 of Deadly Writers Patrol. This nonprofit’s mission “includes veterans of the Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars, and contributors keenly interested in issues of war & peace, military service, nation building, deployment, homecoming, readjustment, moral injury, posttraumatic stress, and more.” You can order a copy HERE.

It is truly an honor that three of my poems are included in Issue #14 of Deadly Writers Patrol. This nonprofit's mission "includes veterans of the Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars, and contributors keenly interested in issues of war & peace, military service, nation building, deployment, homecoming, readjustment, moral injury, posttraumatic stress, and more." You can order a copy HERE .

Tom Wolfe, apostle of ‘New Journalism’ who captured extravagance of his times, dies at 88 – The Washington Post He was a master of narrative nonfiction, and his career-defining book, “The Right Stuff,” was an epic account of the idea of heroism in America. — Read on www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tom-wolfe-apostle-of-new-journalism-who-captured-extravagance-of-his-times-dies-at-87/2018/05/15/89c1e450-5851-11e8-8836-a4a123c359ab_story.html https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_1484w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2018/05/15/Obituaries/Images/Books_Tom_Wolfe-4fddd-1167.jpg?uuid=OxKcwlhSEeiINqShI8NZqw

Google’s new Duplex AI sounds human, with stammers, pauses, and all. It could be a useful addition to Google Assistant or the harbinger of something much more dark and worrisome. — Read on www.zdnet.com/article/google-duplex-beat-the-turing-test-are-we-doomed/

The Magnolia Review has accepted 3 of my poems for their Issue #8 on “Comics.” Thank you Magnolia–this is the third time they have featured my work.

The Magnolia Review has accepted 3 of my poems for their Issue #8 on "Comics." Thank you Magnolia--this is the third time they have featured my work.

The Big Windows Review will publish my poem “Hear like a Stone” online in June and in its next print issue in August.

The Big Windows Review will publish my poem "Hear like a Stone" online in June and in its next print issue in August.

My poem “Anchises” is included in the Spring 2018 issue of Aji Magazine .  You can read online for free or purchase a print copy of this very beautifully designed journal. This the ninth of my poems they have featured.

My poem “Anchises” is included in the Spring 2018 issue of Aji Magazine .  You can read online for free or purchase a print copy of this very beautifully designed journal. This the ninth of my poems they have featured.

My poem "Anchises" is included in the Spring 2018 issue of Aji Magazine .  You can read online for free or purchase a print copy of this very beautifully designed journal. This the ninth of my poems they have featured.

A Time-Lapse of Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Dawn of Fire, a film from Tyler Hulett, is a time-lapse of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano . Twenty years ago, the rainforest in this area was destroyed, but as the rains continue and the lava flows it creates a foundation for new life.

To celebrate my new Kindle eBook, Finite to Fail ,  my first three poetry books will be on Kindle countdown sale from May 5 thru May 12:           Available now for $5.99:

Family, Humor, War: New Poetry Book on Sale! — Read on www.middlewestpress.com/2018/04/family-humor-war-new-poetry-book-on-sale.html

To celebrate my new Kindle eBook, Finite to Fail ,  my first three poetry books will be on Kindle countdown sale from May 5 thru May 12:           Available now for $5.99:

What are the top 10 poems you would choose to teach? DeSales Harrison, author of The Waters & The Wild, teaches an English course every year at Oberlin called “One Hundred Poems.” Here, he gives us ten .

It is sad that GFT Press has gone away. It not only published fine literature, it did so while raising money for mental health. Regrettably, this means my book, Finite to Fail: Poems After Dickinson , is sold out and no longer available there. If you do want a paper copy, please email me at davidanthonysam@gmail.com and you can purchase one of the few I have left. Alternatively, I have made a Kindle version available today. Please go HERE . And thank you to all who have purchased snd read it.