I've never written an Amazon review before, but after reading this book I felt compelled to write one for such a unique and touching book. iPoems for the Dolphins to Click Home About, by Luke Armstrong is, well, what one would expect with a title like that. It's a poetry book for sure, but no coherent theme is evident. Instead poems are all across the board giving the reader almost a sense of what they imagine the poet to be like; pieces floating around in the author's head rather than any profound insight or in-depth focus on one particular area. But it's the refreshing variety encapsulated in the book that's what keeps the reader interested. At times I found myself wondering if the Armstrong was experimenting with different voices, playing with me as the reader, or really just being honest; more honest than many writers by showing different facets of oneself, by refusing to be defined. Besides, the fact that one theme isn't developed or focused on in no way precludes the book being very profound in its own right, perhaps a more wry right, nevertheless! It's rare to find a book that touches on so many themes and plays on so many of my emotions as the reader.
The table of contents and intro alone made me laugh out loud, written with the candor and self-effacing suaveness of a travel writer. But Armstrong also alludes to a deeper issue in a society where pop culture has taken over poetry which has become a thing of the past. However, because of the variety in the book; humor mixed with lines that I had to stop myself and read over a second time to fully appreciate the truth, insight and sheer boldness that makes the book an exception to the very genre it alludes to being a part of which is now becoming obscure.
iPoems for the Dolphins to Click Home About is a smart, funny and observant variance of poems that this generation of 20-somethings will gravitate towards. It's definitely not your average book of poetry with titles like "Frequently Asked Questions Broaching the Answers Thrown Into a Guam Bound Bottle," "Expletive Omitting Future Romantic," "For Christmas I'm Buying My Obsessive Compulsive Roommate Hand Santizer," "A Lunch Box Filled With Cat," and "To the Fathers of the Daughters Who Wind Up In My Bedroom."
The best part about the book, in my opinion, is that though it is quite funny with plenty of breezy titles and even some breezy poems, in no way does Armstrong sacrifice humor for depth. The poem "The Stylishness of Burqas This Season" was one of my favorites, though I had many. This one in particular is a full circle of contrasts and oppositions that it masterfully swings back on itself so that a black and white issue for so many is blurred in a more realistic way than I've seen written before, all done in a seemingly effortless way.
For the 20-somethings of my generation, I think most of us can relate to "The Certainty: Either We Must Become Orphans or Our Parents Must Lose Who They Most Love." Though the true depth of meaning will be lost without context I'll risk it for a few particularly powerful lines for me, "Lately I've become too old to still be young," and in the arena of not worrying about finding love later in life, "After I'm worth knowing," as well as, "We won't experience the best of each other, but taking turns listening to each other, we will settle for being Ambassadors to our past." In a generation where we are getting married at an age older than our parents were, experiencing more of life beforehand, this is highly relatable.
It's the type of book that's relatable on some level to almost everyone, not just my demographic. Of course, being a 20-something who loves to travel, I found some degree of connection to my life, thoughts I've had or people I've met in every poem. But then again, my mom also read it and loved it, so it's not so easy to categorize. I have to say, despite not having a distinct form or voice, or rather because there is no distinct form, voice and theme, it's a truly rare and powerful book with humor, despair, longing and much in between. Because Armstrong mixes up the style of his writing so much, one doesn't get bored or complacent. Turning each page feels unpredictable, like opening a package with no idea what to expect.
I have some favorites like "The Momentary Dreams of Heart-Attacking Old Men," and the poem that carries the book's title, "iPoems For the Dolphins to Click Home About." There are more of course, but you'll just have to buy it to read them.
Each time I read the book I feel like I uncover another level of depth or it provokes a different emotion or idea for me. So a definite pro is the book is cost effective since one can read it over and over. I sure have.
