Customer Reviews

Spam-Ku: Tranquil Reflections on Luncheon Loaf

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

An inspiring and sensual book. Full of rollicking good fun and a wild scents of humor. If you like poetry both absurd and sublime--check it out. You won't be able to resist writing a few yourself.

When the moon is pink, I am full of emptiness, And miss you like Spam.

Being a bit of a poetry fan, and enjoying most things Japanese, and enjoying some downright silly humor will help you really enjoy this little collection compiled by SHAM (Spam Haiku Archive Master) John Cho. No, most of its not true Haiku, but who cares, its fun...really fun. Despite the complete absurdity of this little book, some of it is actually quality haiku. I never thought that three line poetry about a disgusting pseudo-meat could merit praise, but some of this is downright genius. Some of it is juvenile, and a few stray into the realm of tasteless...but if you ignore those you'll really enjoy this. (come to think of it, you probably don't have to enjoy poetry at all to laugh at this.) If it weren't for some of the ones that were a little vulgar and/or using sexual innuendo, I would give this a perfect 5.

John Cho must be a profoundly unusual man to combine the concepts of Japanese verse and Spam. This book is an utter delight for anyone who cherishes the unusual, strange, or surreal. The book contains 162 poems (technically, many are not haiku, but are senryu, but since 'ku' means 'verse' in Japanese, the title is still appropriate) about the most popular spiced pork luncheon meat product the world has ever known.

The book is actually divided into chapters such as "Dreams and Nightmares", Obsession and Addiction", and "Philosophy and Deep Thought." In all cases Mr. Cho, who is the 'Spam Haiku Archive Master' (SPAM) for his Spam-ku website (http://www.spamhaiku.com/spamhaiku/site/), has selected only the tastiest poetic morsels for us to feast on. I have many favorites, but will cite two examples of the finest of the Spam poetry genre. In the section "Epiphany and Portent" there is this gem:

Roseate pork slab,
How you quiver on my spork!
Radiant light, gelled.

While in the section "Anticipation and Desire", this little greasy gem lurks:

How my hands tremble
Applying a light coat of
SPAM-colored lipstick.

All in all this book is perfect for those with a well developed or offbeat sense of humor, or alternately, it is tailor made to annoy anyone who takes poetry way too seriously (which can be fun in and of itself). I am pleased to see Mr. Cho's important contribution to literature in print, and hope for a sequel at some point in the future.

While some mundanes will argue that processed and canned meats are not worthy of literary exploration, they will be wrong. Spam-ku demonstrates masterfully that our favorite canned consumable is not only a valid topic, but perhaps the only valid topic for literature today. This is the book of poetry that the 21s century--no--the entire millennium--will be judged on. Only works which center around SPAM will be seen as true works of the art, and those that treat TREET will be seen as acceptable mass-market, cheap pulp.

As an early contributer of several pieces of Spam-ku (archive numbers 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, and 172), I was saddened that my work did not appear in the book. However, what did make the cut is some of the better Spam-ku out there.

I guess the internet site kinda started as a joke, but then it got a cult following (16,000+ Spam-kus and counting!). And now, it's a book.

Encouraging people to create haiku (remember that form of Japaneese poetry from seventh grade english?) about Spam, Cho has collected interesting works that generally praise the qualities of the oft-maligned luncheon meat.

If you like Spam, you'll like this book.

"Spam-ku: Tranquil Reflections on Luncheon Loaf" incorporates all that is traditional, natural and Japanese. The poetry is moving, the imagery delightful and the language eloquent...even for the description of SPAM.

Purists (SPAM purists, that is) will be moved to tears (of laughter) by this witty collection of poetry. It is definitely worth sinking your teeth into, literally.

Shellery

The smell of spam and I'm up and out of bed can't wait to gobble.

A strange sensation:
To be made, by a book, both
hungry and amused.

What a whacky idea to mix spam and the Japanese Haiku! If you are looking for a way to wile away the hours writing sometimes profound and sometimes worthless words, use this little book for inspiration. Then you can go to the spamku's web site and submit some of your best/worst efforts for others to read.

On August 22, 1995, I happened across spamhaiku.com, the source of this wonderful book, and was hooked in the first few minutes. I was roaring with laughter, tears streaming down my cheeks, in awe of the creativity that had been unleashed. Naturally, I had to try my hand at this art, beginning with Spam-Ku number 552:

I can't stop laughing.
SPAM has become a can of
worms. Please help yourself.

Not content with mere haiku, I upped the ante with this, number 558:

SPAMAPSPAMAPSPAM
SPAMAPSPAMAPSPAMAPSPAM
APS. A palindrome.

Eventually I became thematic, which was inevitable, really. Herewith, a small sample of the output:

16673
New year, new diet.
Cake, pie, bread, whipped cream are banned.
All I eat is SPAM.

16674
SPAM diet works great.
Ninety days with nothing else.
Now on life support.

16675
Doc says, "Do Adkins!"
Prescribes the little blue can.
Then calls mortician.

Years later after much practice and honing of skills, I called for reinforcement, luring another hapless victim into the Spam-Ku lair. Hours of study and a lunchmeat mind meld produced the world's only three-word, 17-syllable Spam-Ku, number 16379:

Postmasticated
porcinitudicity:
Extravaganza!

You asked for my advice, so here goes:

Buy the book and see
you'll be laughing just like me,
then switch to turkey.