Customer Reviews

Eighteen Straight Whiskeys

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This poetry book's pages are full of literary talent which I consider to be BRAVISSIMO!! Michael Easton uses his intellectual abilities in poetic recounts about his past days of destitution and squalor, plus his struggles with substance abuse and relationships when fortune and success found him. In my honest opinion the book is well worth a reader's investment of time and money, especially for the tributes this poet makes to his Mom and Grandmother in a couple of his muses.

I am not a big fan of poetry, but this book is different. It is prolific in the way his poetry truly tells a story. Michael Easton's life IS the story and how he pulled himself out of a "dark time" in his life. Now I understand the saying "Art Imitates Life".

I believe Mr. Easton has been acting the past fifteen years(most recently in daytime). I truly believe he is more talented than the highly paid actors of our time, such as Nicholas Cage, etc. It has brought me new respect of actors on daytime television.

This is an incredibly hard edged, raw collection of poems from an obviously difficult time in Mr. Easton's life. Even through the haze of alcohol and/or drugs, he still felt the pull of the written and spoken word, and was able to project that life to us in an eloquent, albiet blunt, way. I truly hope to see more poems from Mr. Easton, this time from a perhaps more sober and introspective view. My favorites are Poem 37, Pictures, Tantalus and Love Letter. Bravo, Mr. Easton, and thank you.

(A word of warning - the rawness and crude language of many of the poems are not for everyone, please keep that in mind. Even still, it's a great book of poetry and may remind many of their youthful party days).

I am a huge fan of Michael Eastons, have been for a few years. Reading this book, which Iwas lucky to get off eBay, I haveto say there is a great deal of pain in there, but some poems I laughed out loud at. I know thatI will be reading this book many more times--I liked it very much.

I watched Port Charles and fell in love, I read this book and was amazed. The openness, compassion, sorrow, power, and beauty of his words scar you. I'll never look at him the same again, but it's in a good way. As you watch him play Michael Morley, you realize the struggle he went through to be where he is today, as you watch him play Caleb Morley you realize the ultimate disappointment he must feel that he's made it for acting, not his real passion, writing.

Enjoy it while it lasts, this is a short but amazing book. I re-read every poem several times, and you'll find yourself doing the same, especially if you've ever seen him act!

I have been the proud owner of this book since November of 2001.
My assessment of this book can actually equate with my
assessment of Mr. Easton's acting...both share that same
"balletic, graceful, poetic" quality. Mr. Easton's angst and
devastation at that period of his life is so heart-wrenching to
read about...but at the same time important for him to bring
these feelings to the forefront and express his deep "inner-
soul" through these writings. Mr. Easton's supreme intelligence
just shines through in both his writing and his acting. I am
truly honored and privileged to be able to view Mr. Easton on
an almost-daily basis on Port Charles...he brings immeasurable
joy to me and has actually been an inspiration to me and a
dear friend of mine to become expressive ourselves. His
passion for writing and his passion for acting shine through
in all of his endeavors...and I hope and pray we will be
having him for our viewing pleasure on Port Charles for a long
time to come. He and his acting partner, Ms. Kelly Monaco,
bring their characters to life like no other daytime couple
ever. In conclusion, I hope these demons he felt back then
are in the past and I wish him nothing but a peaceful and
happy life.

Poetry is an aquired taste, and is diffrent for everyone. Just as each person prefers a certain wine, and chooses that for certain reasons. Some people feel poetry must rhyme, and others feel it must flow from the poets heart. Michael Easton's style of writting speaks volumes of where he must have been, emotionally, when he wrote such poems. His style is not the flowing, flowery, rhymeing many perfer. But it speaks of true life, true feelings, and I believe where he felt he was coming from. I truly relate to the poems included in this book, and feel that it also helped me with my writting as well. I highly recommend this book, but caution it is to be read with an open mind. One thing is for sure,I waited quiet awhile to get the book, and will continue to enjoy it...for the emotions it awakens in me, for its dry-whit, and for most importantly, it's poetry.

I just had to write another review on this poetry book as I excitedly await a few copies of the 2nd edition, with it's new front cover design! Besides, my 1st edition copy is getting worn out from rereading the poems so much during the past 18 months. Although I am partial to each of Michael's vers libre, for those of you who are browsers who prefer highlights, my favorite poem in this book is called "Influences" which is a noteworthy, inspirational composition of advice for how to survive in life. My second favorite stands as a tie between "Elmer Fudd" and "George Best", followed by "Hope" and "Poem 37", with the latter two verses appearing to reveal Michael's deepest pain, over his closest loved ones who moved to Heaven at young ages. Touching; spiritual; artistic; humorous; reality!

It wasn't what I expected, it was much better. I love this book because it's real and you can feel what he's going through and it comes straight from the heart. I have read some other "soap stars" (I won't mention who) poems and they are awful, especially compared to these is Michael's book. It's like he just sat down and wrote what he felt and other people's sounds like they had to think hard to make up something and call it a poem. I love his writing style, he's amazing and this book is amazing.

For once in my life I have actually found a true heart in this world. As a poet myself, I find that Michael Easton has grasped a side of life that is in the deepest corners' of our minds. I have read other reviews from readers' that caused me to purchase this title. For one has to know the dark places in ones' soul to accept the clarification and appreciation of Mr. Eastons' perfection. I applaud his work and pray he does more. From the "HEART" Michael, straight from the heart. We could only expect as much, as you have enlightened us with this part of you and your being. As each one reads each one of the poems' in this book, remember, only the deepest part of the soul can be given a part of, and this man, well needless to say, has given us a part of his.