Lobster with Ol' Dirty Bastard [Paperback]

Michael Cirelli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 2008

A first collection by the head of Urban Word, an expert on hip-hop poetry.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[His work] reveals the great artistry of poets and rappers and shows how hip-hop is the evolution of classic poetry." --Kanye West

"Michael Cirelli has invented his own electric school of lyric, stamping an unflinching signature on soul-infused stanzas that are alternately tender, tough, revelatory and always, always unapologetic." --Patricia Smith --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

From the author of HIP-HOP POETRY AND THE CLASSICS, winner of the Library Association of America Award. Cirelli is the executive director of Urban Word NYC. His work has been published in such journals as the NY QUARTERLY, THE TEXAS REVIEW, WORD IS BOND, POETRY MOTEL and multiple anthologies. One of his poems was a finalist for the Perillo Prize in Poetry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 92 pages
• Publisher: Hanging Loose Press (March 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193123695X
• ISBN-13: 978-1931236959
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,006,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a stunning debut, April 25, 2008

By 

C. O. Aptowicz (NYC, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lobster with Ol' Dirty Bastard (Hardcover)

In his debut book of poetry, Michael Cirelli paints a moody & arresting portrait of what life is like for the son of (what seems to be) a career criminal, while also showcasing vibrant & cunning work about hiphop, love and New York City.

Through his experiences in both spoken word and academia, Cirelli has developed a strong unpretentious voice as well as a playful, fearless approach to the material. Considering the diverse themes and subjects tackled in this book -- including odes to slang, unsentimental poems about getting older and revisionist histories of hiphop, which join the aforementioned clear-eyed poems about his troubled childhood -- it is a testament to Cirelli's skills as a writer that the book holds together so wonderfully.

This books casts a seductive spell, and is proof of the muscular, modern & unapologetically honest work being created by today's contemporary poets.

3.0 out of 5 stars "Ohh Baby I Like it Raw.", February 20, 2012

By 

Quincy Rhoads - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lobster with Ol' Dirty Bastard (Paperback)

The title poem and other poems in which Cirelli uses figures from Hip-Hop are good, but I found many of the more lyric poems a bit difficult to access and relate with. The book is worth reading, I suppose, but it isn't likely to rattle your core.