Customer Reviews

Waking the Deaf Dog: Poems

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

 

 

This is a smart collection that is fun to read! From "The Sardine Can" to "The Umlaut" to "Letter to my Ex-Wife Who is Having Lunch with Harold Bloom Tomorrow," this book is full of poems that surprise the reader. It is refreshing to find a collection that is humorous without being excessively slapstick, and serious without being morose or self-pitying. The use of couplets is outstanding--the form--especially the enjambed couplets--allows for constant realizations on the part of the speaker as he continually discovers things about his world. The turns in the language propel the speaker into deeper insights. In addition, the couplets give the poems a slower, meditative pace that is handled very well. In "Letter..." the hints of Stevens' influence are intelligent gestures that are concluded well with signing the letter "...Love, Ramon." This is probably the Ramon of Stevens' "Idea of Order at Key West." And this is just one lovely stitch in the quilt of this collection.

This book is a particularly engaging collection of poetry, due in no small portion to the strength of speaker and tone. One reviewer mistakenly read this tone as self-serving, which entriely ignores the way in which so many of these poems express a certain feeling of marginalization which is instantly identifiable. Madonick's poems dive wholeheartedly into themes of family and human interaction in general, with a voice that refuses to become bogged down in unecessary abstractions. This is a book that is artistic without being "arty" or pretensious. There is an unswerving honesty here that is complemented by impressively strong poetic language, and an interestingly cohesive use of imagery. It's a good book. Read it.

Although there are other individual works out there by Madonick that are possibly better (one piece from the Florida Review comes to mind), this set of poems is worth a look.

Simple ideas open into new worlds, suggestive of a mix between Champaign-Urbana and Alice's Wonderland. Truly, Madonick has something that is unique in it's character; unassuming brilliance that opens doors and lets us see the simple beauty of everyday, and beyond.

There are indeed, a few poems in this book that are wonderful. A few. But many others seem quite pedestrian. Especially the "professorial" ones, which are at once amateur and self-serving. The high points throw the very low ones into a painful bas relief of snooze. A good editor was needed here. The book was recommended to me by a friend who raved over it. This friend will not be trusted with literary recommendations again. Ho hum.

This book is very exciting.

It is also very colorful