Customer Reviews

The Available World: Poems

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In Ander Monson's the Available World, he uses language to carve ideas. It reminds me of the contour in southern Utah's landscape. Hoodoo ideas jet out from the book. Layers of thought, placement of words, and twisted carvings careen through slot canyons. Each of his poems leave me with a slice of some new frame. He merges technology with an educated lexicon and local jargon. He is heavy on language yet he is experienced in how to curse. It is done in a way that doesn't provoke offense. If anything it provokes new thought.

Each poem begins as a slide and by the end of one poem I saw a slide show of different thoughts. The form varies enough throughout the book that makes it an interesting read. He inverts, folds, flips, mirrors, reverses meaning and words. This scrambled words and word play add depth. In "Dear Boar," Monson selected words that denote and sound out the meaning. Here is a sample of one of my favorite phrases: "mass of velvet pelvis we call Presley." I love the string of voiced fricative "v" in that phrase. Its construction is as loose and fluid and its meaning. And should practice dancing in a way where I exhibit a velvet pelvis.

Monson is honest. If anything, he's a bit heavy on the confessions of his humanness. While he admits mistakes, he doesn't revel in the fallen man (like Nathaniel Hawthorne). Drinking, porn, lust, drives are all part of Monson's strata. It is presented in a way that is human. It borders on being distasteful to me at times* but yet, it seems so necessary to be placed in this poetry. He handles hard subjects without shame which lend the reader to not judge but to connect. I suspect he uses so many modern, computer terms to emphasize connection through technology, through books - it was its own form of technology once. Connection and the availability to connect instantly are part of what feeds humanity to connect with humanity.

*Just for context, I think Shrek uses too much bad language.

Ander Monson astounds with his unique ideas and imaginative voice in this book of poetry. He masterfully combines contemporary culture with poetic imagery and expression to create a one-of-a-kind look at the world. His voice shines in every word; he is conversational, yet intense. His often sardonic wit is a refreshing break from often overwhelmingly pretentious poets that need interpreters to make sense of the words on the page. Instead, Monson discusses objects and ideas that the average reader can relate to. Computers, home repairs, email, fear, and others abound in his poems, reeking of sarcastic cleverness and undeniable power over the English language. However, even more than the English language, Monson seems to be fluent in the human language. His sometimes abstract sounding poems nevertheless reach out to the reader, striking chords and causing feelings to be experienced. He displays an amazing gift of being able to find humor in the mundane, and serious meditation in the same. Having read some of his essays, which are also quite poetic, I have seen that Monson is no stranger to provoking thought in his audience. He has no fear of adverse reactions, but merely shows the world in words how he sees it, envisions it, imagines it, hopes it to be, hopes it not to be. The Available World is a testament to his out-of-the-box ideas and ideals and the creative way in which he presents them. I would recommend this book to budding poets, poetry lovers, and novices to the poetry scene; there is so much to be gained from his insight into the world.

Ander Monson's collection of poems in "The Available World" really evokes interest of the little details of the everyday, and moves the reader forward from page to page in order to find out what Monson will have written about next. His poems include such things as brief mentions of video games, religion, teenage rowdiness, and all the wonderful things that add meaning and memories to our lives. No one experience is excluded from his range of topics, and I feel that his poetry is all the better for this reason. His words are engaging, and his work is never monotonous and repeated; every poem has its own voice and its own tone, and they never really follow the same, set stylistic pattern. The spirit of Monson's poetry is real and relatable, and because of this connectedness you are able to find commonalities between his words and experiences and your own life and experiences. Monson is inspiring and oh so entertaining in his accounts of the everyday, and sometimes not-so-everyday, and as I have heard mentioned of him, he is the kind of man who finds meaning in everything. He can draw on the humor of a situation, and just as easily produce a more serious insight to another situation. Monson is deeply interested in how everything connects, and his collections of poems really display this intrigue and promote a fascination of the "infinite suggestiveness" of everything. I suggest this book wholeheartedly and say that others will also find Monson's fascination with the relationship of all things memorable and inspiring.