Said the Shotgun to the Head (Paperback)

by Saul Williams (Author) "CITIZENS, children of the night, bearers of the day torch: scorched and burned..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Williams co-wrote and starred in the film Slam, was featured in the documentaries Slam Nation and I'll Make Me a World, and rapped to Rick Rubin-produced tracks on his hybrid album Amethyst Rock Star. Following The Seventh Octave (1998) and S/he (1999), Williams's third print collection (this time with no CD), is described as an "epic," and begins with a chilling epigraph from Paul Robeson on the warped combine of Western values, creativity, star power and suicide. It prefigures the set of toxic contradictions Williams attempts to negotiate, moving quickly into big-fonted oracular mode, channeling "those ships that never sailed/ the ones with their seacocks open/ that lied scuttled in their stalls/ TODAY/ i bring them back/ HUGE AND INTRANSITORY"-simultaneously invoking thwarted ambition, sexual exposure, the Middle Passage, and attempts to "lie" (dissimulate as well as collapse) through it all. Throughout the book, Williams draws on messianic postures and pronouncements that are non-starters, dragging out the most shopworn heresies and tropes: "we will wait through the degenerate course/ of your repeated history/ we will wait for the past to die." Yet such moments are repeatedly undercut by brief, understated bouts of lyrical intimacy and self-scrutiny: "i cannot make/ your past disappear/ only rabbits, my love/ only rabbits." It is through their juxtaposition that readers glimpse the pathos of a poet struggling with a literally unspeakable historical past, and deeply unworkable present-as well as levity in the futility of trying to dispel it all with corporate-backed, art-based bunnies. (A mock interview between a "Journalist" and "Maned Character" delves into the contradictions of being published by MTV.) The end result is an oblique attempt at moving past flawed concepts of gender, violence, race, religion and exchange, proceeding by sheer will and sometimes a "turn the music up" determination. Despite an absurdly overblown conclusion, it works-almost despite itself.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
The Washington Post Astonishing...poet. The internal rhyme, metrics, and imagery are so fleet...that they're humbling. -- Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: MTV; 1 edition (September 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743470796
• ISBN-13: 978-0743470797
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #371,106 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read and Read Again!, March 13, 2004

By	Sal Paradise "ethanallen95" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Saul Williams is one of my favorite poets. He gathers material from everyday life and transcends into something I would say ethereal. It's really difficult to put this particular one continuous poem piece into words of compliment, but I'm still reading this book. I've read over it at least 20 times and pick up something new everytime. Great for long road trips or quiet evenings.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, But not Disappointing, April 24, 2006

By	John Allen (Hicktown, MS USA) - See all my reviews

Though the pagecount may seem misleading considering some pages only contain a line or two of text, the book is a 7 x 6 installation piece as well as a good read. The text seems to act as a character throughout the book due to it's continuously interesting style and placement as well as it's ability to mimic the emotion invoked in the poem. A must have for anyone who enjoys new art and isn't afraid of deep thoughts.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saul Williams is a name to remember, June 9, 2004

By A Customer

I had no idea who Saul Williams was until I saw him with the Plea for Peace tour reccently. Watching him preform excerpts from "said the shotgun to head" I was immeadiately entranced by the conviction of his words and the eloquence of them. When his segment of the show was up, I went and bought this book from the merchandise table and I was not disappointed. I am an avid fan of modern poetry, and this book takes on a very hip hop feel to it. The imagery is wonderful, the message is powerful, and his gift with words, crafting them and setting them to poetry, is amazing. Yes, it is one long poem, but the layout of the book makes it very easy to follow. I don't regret my impulse buy at the concert that night, as Saul Williams is a talented poet and preformer.