Plasticville [Paperback]

David Trinidad (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2000

"Plasticville is about the bliss of collecting, invention, and valuing the bits and pieces of popular detritus that constitute our lives. . . . Trinidad's warm intelligence makes poetry deft and true, dazzling and vulnerable, plastic and classic."—Molly Peacock

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gathering a variety of traditional forms to "capture the soul of plastic," Trinidad's ninth collection manages to be at once utterly deadpan and astonishingly fine. Only via Trinidad will Chatty Cathy enter a villanelle, or Garbo's troll collection find itself unveiled in terza rima. Yet Trinidad's high/low playfulness thoroughly displays a smart, sharp art of arrangement--be the subject "Fat Liz / Bad Anne"; "Barbie, Ken, Midge, Allan, and Skipper"; Marilyn Monroe's psyche; or 116 lines cribbed from everyone from Matthew Arnold to JamesWright. The book masterfully renders the obsessive aspects of popular culture-collectibility, relentless camp, larger-than-life power dynamics-and the odd way they reflect the poignant complexities of making choices. This is plainly evident in the many shorter poems on the vicissitudes of collecting, like "Accessories" ("comb,/ brush and 'real' mirror") or "Fortunes" ("You are just beginning to live"), and in "Essay with Movable Parts," a long poem that intersperses images of the poet's nascent doll collection with subversively intelligent snapshots from a range of cheesy classics, including Valley of the Dolls and episodes of Gilligan's Island. A second long poem, "Every Night, Byron" is written from the perspective of the poet's lover's dog, hilariously summoning up The Autobiogrpahy of Alice B. Toklas as if written by Basket: "David's packages in-/ terested me at first,/ until I realized they/ were full of the same/ old (as Ira calls it)/ 'Barbie Crap' ./ David hemmed and/ hawed: 'When/ words and people/ fail me, I have no/ choice but to take/ refuge in things.' Ira/ didn't buy it; neither/ did I." This is Trinidad's finest work to date, and readers will do well to take refuge in its shiny, humane splendors, even if doubting the value of disposable culture in and of itself.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Popular culture, as in Barbie doll collections, movie stars, TV shows, and Jacqueline Susann, marks the subject of many of these poems. Trinidad, one of the poets associated with the Beyond Baroque poetry scene in L.A., writes in many forms: couplets, villanelles, prose poems, and sonnets. Although his poems occasionally document serious themes--AIDS, homosexual love, the death of friends--mostly they skirt the surfaces of consumer items, as in the poem titled "Chatty Cathy Villanelle," which begins, "When you grow up, what will you do?/ Please come to my tea party./ I'm Chatty Cathy. Who are you?." Another poem, "Clue," focuses on the game of that same title, which was played by so many boomers during childhood. Here is an excerpt: "Scarlett's gardenia-scented love letters to poor/ Mr. Green! The detective surmised (at our/ last meeting) that Miss Scarlett murdered/ Green in a moment of passion." The long poem "Every Night, Byron!" is a tad more interesting than most of these, mainly because Trinidad uses the voice of his pet dog as narrator: "On the drive home,/ I discovered they'd/ chosen my name./ Byron. I later learned/ it has great sentimental significance. They/ had both lost close/ friends who'd/ loved the poems of/ George Gordon." For the most part, these poems lack music, imagery, and interesting topics; many consist of dull lists that go nowhere. Not recommended.
-Doris Lynch, Monroe Cty. P.L., Bloomington, IN
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 101 pages
• Publisher: Turtle Point Press; 1st edition (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885983468
• ISBN-13: 978-1885983466
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,710,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Gay

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure delight, April 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Plasticville (Paperback)

This is a gem of, a wonder of, a book. Nothing meets Trinidad's careful eye without sizzling in it or turning 360 degrees until spun and respun into gold. That's, yes, the Midas touch, which our poor tired cultural icons and ephemera sorely need. Only Trinidad could grace Marilyn Monroe with a crown of sonnets or set model trains chugging on their perfect couplet tracks. It's like Christmas morning in your mind--only better. Because this one can be enjoyed over and over without getting worn out--the profound play here is married with a depth that rewards rereading. Indulge!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plastic and Classic!, March 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Plasticville (Paperback)

A poem written from the perspective of a Cairn Terrier, a player in Clue, a Chatty Cathy doll--this fun and consistently engaging collection is gratifying for its originality and surprises. Accessible and smart, this book finds depth beneath the gloss of pop culture. Trinidad's poems will appeal to all.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure genius!, July 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Plasticville (Paperback)

This is the one of the few books of poetry I've read that actually means something! Discovering this has really changed the way I think about verse and books in general. The best thing about it? NOT boring. I'm so sick of the innocuous, adjectival, over-written, meaningless poems in so many journals and "literary" magazines of our time. David Trinidad is smart--read for pure pleasure, and then read again and look for the subtle tricks and talent he employs to make these poems truly great art! Truly fresh, too. No one else is writing about our tarnished culture like Trinidad. He is truly unique, and like I said, the best compliment I can give is that this book is not a bore--something that 98% of all books of poetry these days are! Thank you Mr. Trinidad! You've got me reading and enjoying poetry again!