From Publishers Weekly
In these alternately humorous and hard-hitting poems about life, death, politics and poetry, Hollo ( Pick Up the House ) addresses such issues as nuclear war, "massive man-made pollution" and the fate of the universe. With his signature penchant for irony and impiety, the poet revels in an eccentric play of language to reveal the absurdities of the contemporary world and presumably shock the reader out of complacency: "the bang / will follow the flash / yes nukes / have indeed led to a worldwide upsurge / of mad religiosity / don't you think blink think." Hollo's sometimes exaggerated and heavy-handed flippancy is offset by an understated romanticism and overriding sense of nostalgia most evident in his numerous love poems: "I feel remarkably cheerful / (considering) / because it is your birthday today / & we are quite clearly afloat / in the uncharted archipelago of Being-Here." Such a curious balance of cynicism and sentiment makes this collection satisfyingly unpredictable and provocative.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Readers of mainstream poetry who tend to avoid the often bland offerings of most minimalists and L*A*N*G*U*A*G*E poets should become familiar with Hollo. Though his poems are lean and mean, they are not weightless and should not be lumped with those whose work is a watery soup of empty, disconnected words. Every poem in his latest and best collection shows why his name should be better known. A conversational tone dominates, and the reader is often directly addressed: "do you behold these steep & lofty cliffs" begins a lovely eight-liner titled "Wordsworth Briefly Revisited." And don't miss other gems like "The Dada Letter" or "Arcana Gardens." In fact, don't miss anything at all by this strong poet.
- Vincent D. Balitas, Allentown Coll., Center Valley, Pa.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Vincent D. Balitas, Allentown Coll., Center Valley, Pa.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
