Customer Reviews

Rise of the Trust Fall

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When I first read "The Rise of the Trust Fall," I got physically angry at how good it was: throwing the book on to my lap on the subway, groaning "Come ON!"; racing back to earlier poems to confirm they couldn't have been *that* good and becoming enraged that they still were; calling friends, shouting lines into the receiver, nearly rabid that all these perfect words found each other, and in the right order, and in such a earnest, forthright, crooked-grinned book.

With her first book, "Sleepyhead Assassins," Mindy Nettifee crackled with potential and winkingly beckoned at the reader. With "Rise of the Trust Fall," her second book, Nettifee has come back with a startling confidence, wheeling her considerable talent across her mind's entire landscape. Describing this book is semi-maddening: it's lush, yet sharp; it's bitingly funny, yet flinch-inducingly heartbreaking; it's smart, yet silly; tender, yet arch; drunk, yet sober; dizzy, yet beautiful. It's a book that looks the reader in the eye, while still understands the power of its hands fluttering in the shadows.

Which is all to say this book is filled with really great poems.

In "Acceptance Speech," she begins: "I would like to thank first of all my asthmatic lungs, / my inadequacy in the bedroom, / my dark Texas reckless streak and waning night vision / that make awareness of my own mortality possible. // Next, I would like to thank my constant nightmares for their vivid, arresting creativity-- / their cheerful execution of ritual disembowelment, / their lifelike rendering of flesh-eating animatronic bunnies, / and their resourcefulness in general with symbols for personal failure. // I must thank my inability to balance a checkbook / coupled with my whimsical attitude about money / and my magically disappearing work ethic, / without which my debt would be nothing[...]"

In "Rare Character Arcs That Have Started To Haunt Me," she ends: "Starving artist goes to law school, discovers money isn't everything, but it beats $2 burritos every night, takes up Paxil and kayaking. // Man confronts profound doubt about the origins of the universe/existence of God, struggles, eventually retreats in to the simple joys of young adult fiction. // Writer digs deep to express emotions, heal old wounds, still ends up in decades of therapy, dies in her sleep while dreaming about office work."

And really -- I could just keep pulling out stanzas I adore from this book. But instead, I will encourage you just buy it yourself and read it already. In this day and age, it's good to get a little angry sometimes, and "Rise of the Trust Fall" will have your blood boiling for all the right reasons.

I've been familiar with Mindy Nettifee's writing for nearly two decades now, ever since seeing her as a teenager at Orange County open readings. All of which makes "Rise of the Trust Fall" so remarkable. The voice is unabashedly adult, but the poems themselves are vibrant with youthful energy. In a lot of ways, it seems like a natural extension of her career to date, strands of bet, punk and slam congealing into exquisite poems that are so gorgeous they burn. This is Nettifee's second book, after the lovely "Sleepyhead Assassins," but it's clear that she's only just getting started.

Being a young woman in poetry it is incredibly inspiring to watch someone perform as honest as Mindy does. What I have learned in the past year is she is not only a beautiful performer but someone who translates to the page just as brilliantly. "Rise of the Trust Fall" is not your usual sit down with a cup of coffee and comfortably read poetry kind of book. This book will have you reaching for tissue boxes, laughing out loud even while alone, and clutching your heart because it feels as if she's taken your soul out of your chest and written it in prose. It is a book you will not want to put down. Grab your highlighters and pens and be prepared to dog ear everything. There is so much to relate to, to learn from, and to just listen to in this book. Mindy has a beautiful soul and she has so articulately poured it onto these pages to share with people. I am thankful for the ways her poetry has inserted itself into my life and experiences and opened my eyes to truths I was having a hard time seeing, understanding, or believing.
If you want to learn about how to live life this is a book that you should own. Like now.

Mindy Nettifee has been a bit of a rock star in the Southern California poetry community for as long as I can remember. I am so happy to see that she is quickly gathering a larger audience. I have been listening to Mindy Nettifee's poetry for many years but I was still taken aback by how good this book is. Mindy's transfer from stage to the page is flawless. I have read "Rise of the Trust Fall," from cover to cover several times. Well crafted, courageous, and brutally honest, this is simply one of the best books of poetry I have ever bought.

Do yourself a favor and order a copy of this book today.

Mindy Nettifee's most recent book of poems "Rise of the Trust Fall" was everything that poetry should be. The author's sharp wit and biting humor carries through consistently in every piece. In some instances this translates to hilarious dark humor. In other pieces, she cleverly supplies words for feeling you didn't know anyone else had. This book is beautifully written, easy to read, and had changed my perspective entirely. I would highly suggest it to anyone with any interest in poetry or great literature.

Mindy Nettifee takes the ugly facts and private moments and arranges them so perfectly and so shamelessly with wit and style that you cannot help but find the beauty in them. Mindy's writting is a wry corner mouth smile from across the room. You should do yourself a favor and read this book, dog ear the pages-underline your favorite bits and be ready to want to write when you are done.

Ms Nettifee is the real thing - a concoction of midwest and west coast sensibility, the ethereal and the concrete, water and whiskey, church and bar-room - check this book out - read these real poems then go see Ms Nettifee when she rolls through your town. Rise of the Trust Fall is a beautiful-brutal read scripted by a fascinating lyricist.

I first encountered Nettifee when she toured with the Elephant Engine High Dive Revival. Suffice to say, I was hooked before she even took the stage. Nettifee has a disarmingly impish presence that left me completely unprepared for her words. Nettifee's poems are unflinching and unapologetic. She tells it like is, mastering the art of being direct without being offensive. There are no pulled punches in this collection, yet you come away from each poem feeling a little more at peace with your own wreckage. I suppose, more than anything, the poems in this book remind us that being in pieces is very different from being broken. Her spirit never wavers, and neither will your love for this book.

That's right. I said it. Nettifee knows. More specifically, Mindy Nettifee knows poetry. If you haven't been enchanted by her words, then you haven't been listening, America. I remember hearing "Acceptance Speech" on blogtalk radio and thinking: "Okay, I give up. This girl is the bees knees and I must get this book." How can you deny lines like "Where I can afford large grains of salt with the money I save buying into nothing"? The simple answer is, you can't. The list of home run pieces from Rise of the Trust Fall is impressive. "What Comes After," "Your New Girlfriend is Really Nice," and "Why I Sounded so Freaked Out When I Called"--gems one and all. Nettifee spins a spellbinding web of heartache, self-discovery, and emtional calls to arms that will crush you asunder and instantly build you back up again like a stolen kiss in the night. Take it from me, it is very easy to pick this collection up. But you will come back to it again and again because you relate to her because she's been down those roads of life before. We all need a literary lighthouse to guide our way from time to time.

this is probably one of the most beautiful collections of poetry I've ever read. a more "detailed" or "specific" review would be superfluous. read the dang book instead of dicking around on Amazon, why dontcha.