Whether chronicling 1960s sitcoms or the murder of Sharon Tate at the hand of Charles Manson's "family", this collection of Trinidad's poetry explores popular American cultural themes, and delves deep into the fears that haunt so many suburban lives.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Barbie dolls, locker-room urinals, bomb shelters. Pop culture raises its funky head in David Trinidad's poetry. Answer Song is no nostalgic trip down memory lane, but a realistic look at the tribulations of growing up in a commodified, iconicized American culture. In "The Shower Scene in Psycho," the speaker's youth amid sensationalized reports of the Manson family's cult killings is juxtaposed with the eerie, detailed shot in the movie Psycho. In another coming-of-age depiction, "Things to Do in Valley of the Dolls (The Movie)," Trinidad weaves together the hype and horror of the Hollywood scene, inside and out, the character roles and the real-life actor who can't separate the two versions. "The Ten Best Episodes of The Patty Duke Show" paints a vivid impression of human fears of failure as well as the constant tricks we perform (on ourselves and others) to get through an average day.
From Publishers Weekly
Trinidad's (Pavane) newest volume of poetry (and a few prose pieces) is unadulterated camp-meditations on gay life, sex and love intermixed with cloying, nostalgic chronicles of American pop culture (cereals of the late '70s and early '80s are displayed prominently). Trinidad explores these subjects in a plain, shoot-from-the-hip style, never lapsing into artifice or bombast. Unfortunately, he rarely lapses into poetry, either; lines like "My lover who vomits on me in the middle of sex and passes out" and "So how did you know I was having bad dreams?/ Because you woke up and told me-/ just like in that poem" abound. By juxtaposing the emotionality of human relationships with the infectious dissonance of pop culture, the writer succeeds in his ambition to illustrate the essential meaninglessness of both. But Trinidad's success seems accomplished almost by default: his excavations of advertising jingles and TV theme music are the only works that come close to approaching the charged quality of poetry. Answer Song may leave readers feeling like they have just eaten an entire box of Trix-satisfied and sugared, yet nervous.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Divine Pleasure!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Answer Song (High Risk) (Paperback)
David Trinidad is the answer to our prayers. His poems radiate with the fullness and intensity which gives hope to an overwrought world. May he continue to bring us these treasures for years to come. Buy it because everyone needs to hear this Answer Song!
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absorbing collection,
This review is from: Answer Song (High Risk) (Paperback)
If you're interested in pop culture pathos, 'Answer Song' is a must-have. Trinidad's style encompasses love, lust, sexuality & 60s kitsch. Ambitious, simple, & beautifully rendered.
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