Object Lessons [Paperback]

Oz D. du Soleil (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 1999

Object Lessons is a collection of poems, short stories and essays presented in the order in which they were written. The two primary subject matters are:
the politics of intimacy
government

The rest of Object Lessons includes a myriad of Oz's commentaries on the human condition: the death of a parent, friendship, lechery, loneliness, and exploration of the world of anti-depressant medication.

Humor, poignancy, surreal moments, and outright silliness keep Object Lessons interesting; covering the spectrum of emotions and topics.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Object Lessons was written and published out of a need for expression. Never having really fit anywhere?whether it was the Navy, Harvard, heterosexual climes or other places where I've been expected to fit?I've felt it important to share what I see from the boundaries between so many different worlds.

My interest with Object Lessons is to open discussion and inspire thought. Hopefully my readers don't find me preaching, self-piteous or claiming to have access to The Truth. There's a lot of joy, pain, rage, satire, and fun in Object Lessons. I hope you'll check it out.

And yes: those are photos of me on page 82.

From the Back Cover

Once Heard in a Pleasantly Lonely Room:
"I'm not misanthropic, I'm just pro-solitude"
From: "Gimme Jean-Paul! You can Keep Naomi!"
I've NEVER liked
wispy ugly-footed
wire-women
Not even when
I was 16-20 and
afflicted with
benign priapism

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 97 pages
• Publisher: 2-2-B Press (July 28, 1999)
• ISBN-10: 0967410908
• ISBN-13: 978-0967410906
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,219,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Bewitched By The Word-Wizardry Of Oz, May 19, 2002

By 

Frank Strata (Breckenridge, Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Object Lessons (Paperback)

I was very pleasantly surprised and pleased by this book. It is certainly one of the best poetry collections I've ever read, and I've read many poets and many poems. What immediately draws you in about Soleil's work is its intelligent yet refreshingly accessible and readable style, and at the same time its highly intimate and personal subject-matter, very confessional and autobiographical. Some of the subject-matter will be shocking even by contemporary standards, but as the author himself explains, his real intent isn't merely to shock or to write dirt for dirt's sake, but rather, to express himself creatively and share his impressions about aspects of his life with the reader. Besides, attitudes in the West continue to become more relaxed, more enlightened, and we're a far-cry from the uptight, conservative '80s. Soleil's "Object Lessons" is in the tradition of Charles Bukowski, yet completely original. It has the potential to be (and deserves to be) an underground cult classic like Allen Ginsberg's "Howl", which is perhaps a much more well-known but far less readable and far more outdated work. So what is Oz du Soleil's work really about? Well, if u like to read about how wonderful everything is and how nice the flowers smell in spring, LOOK ELSEWHERE. These poems are unabashedly honest and explicit about how they deal with more daring topics, like the author's sexual interests, including frequenting sex clubs, porn, masturbation, etc, not to mention his preference for full-figured women over the anorexic magazine model. But its not all about sex and erections and "tuna-eating", there's also a lot of other things he talks about, including just regular friendship, especially with women. His use of language is unique and grips your interest. All thoughout, one gets a sense of an outsider, someone who has not quite fit in. Why? Because Soleil is an individualist, a moral nonconformist, a social radical, and an artistic original. Such people always have difficulty in the "real world" becuase they refuse to compromise and conform more than they absolutely have to, they just wanna be themselves and experiment with darker or more daring aspects of reality, even taboo reality. It is also clear from the persona in this work that the author is very human, a person with clarity, sanity, wit, emotions and intellect, not merely a Prozac-medicated, sex-driven, one-dimensional human being. This is Soleil's first published book. I recommend it highly!

5.0 out of 5 stars cognitively jarring, thought provoking and humorous, October 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Object Lessons (Paperback)

This book takes you through a real-life journey of the author. Enjoy the ride as he makes observations regarding that which pleases and that which disgusts him. The candor is refreshing, but not for the faint of heart. I loved this book and get more out of the essays and poems as I read them over and over again.

5.0 out of 5 stars cognitively jarring, thought provoking and humorous, October 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Object Lessons (Paperback)

This book takes you through a real-life journey of the author. Enjoy the ride as he makes observations regarding that which pleases and that which disgusts him. The candor is refreshing, but not for the faint of heart. I loved this book and get more out of the essays and poems as I read them over and over again.