Spam-Ku: Tranquil Reflections on Luncheon Loaf (Paperback)

~ John Cho (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"I hear the Spam ball. / It bounces--porqua, porqua. / A haiku of spring." John Nagamichi Cho--self-described Spam Haiku Archive Master, or "S.H.A.M." for short, and researcher at MIT--has compiled a treasure-trove of uniquely delicious poetry from more than 40 porkphile poets. With piggy prose on everything from Americana: "perfection uncanned / like a beautiful redhead / fresh from her trailer" to philosophy: "I'm pink, therefore I'm Spam," Spam-ku: Tranquil Reflections on Luncheon Loaf is a perfect accouterment for those with a taste for the quirky. --Rebekah Warren

Review

"Clever, funny . . . profound."

-- -- New York Times

"Evidence of a . . . haiku renaissance led by a culturally prominent luncheon loaf."

-- -- Chicago Tribune

"Tiny, perfect works of literature." -- -- Vancouver Sun

"Clever, funny . . . profound." -- New York Times

"Evidence of a . . . haiku renaissance led by a culturally prominent luncheon loaf." -- Chicago Tribune

"Tiny, perfect works of literature." -- Vancouver Sun

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1st edition (September 23, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060952784
• ISBN-13: 978-0060952785
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #631,706 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spam is sexy meat!, March 11, 1999

By A Customer

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.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for a little laugh...make that a BIG laugh, June 29, 2001

By	Moses Alexander (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfection Uncanned, February 1, 2004

By	Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

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.