Matt Cook (2)

This is the second Matt Cook collection I've read. I originally encountered him via NPR's Writer's Almanac.

His poems are often a string of observations, like a stand-up comedy routine. They're frequently even funny, and all have straightforward language that promotes introspection without melodrama.

Some favorites were Asking Someone, Probably, A Professor I Know, When the Drunk Man Speaks Loudly, It Might Bring Happiness, The Unapproachable Butcher, and He Thought He Saw a Bug.

There are several poems about poets, usually ending with a sly punchline.

One tricky thing about poetry is never being entirely sure whether typos (there are a few) are proofing errors or an artistic choice. Cook doesn't really seem like that sort of artiste, although he does use italics gratuitously.

Some lines:

If the poet's handshake is too firm, he loses credibility.

Every leaf is not a poem; that needs to be reconsidered.
For my purposes, snowflakes are all pretty much the same.

My contribution to mankind has been small, but I've seen smaller.

An aluminum houseboat in the sky that had burned to the ground.

It's possible that death is a lot of fun.
Death might be very similar to a bowl of ice cream.
We shouldn't judge eternity until all the facts are in.
The eyes of the dead fish are far from encouraging.
But we shouldn't get all worked up about that.… (mais)

In The Unreasonable Slug Matt Cook's Milwaukee poetic chops are on full display, like a Sausage Race at Miller Park, you just can't take your eyes away from it. Cook takes one part narrative verse, one part list poem, one part Lenny Clark, and one part good 'ol American midwestern spoken word, simmering it all down into a poetic reduction.

Cook strings lines and ideas together with progression and uncommon logic, forcing the reader to reexamine all the things in life which go without examination in our day to day. How does the wolf spider in the mailbox break up its week? It's a beautiful American verse, a common sense reconsidering of lyric and poetic order through comedy and memory. A sort of Heidegger meets Ron White. Think about that one for a moment. It's important to discuss the composition of the photograph. It's important to discuss the content of the photograph. Matt Cook reminds us it's also important to discuss the content left out of the photograph.

A dialogue is always emerging; between people, between bare feet and the grass, endless strings of stories, some important and some not, but all alive in the act of telling. In this, The Unreasonable Slug is an almanac for modern living, a commentary on American society and politic, sans commentary, society, and politic. Cooks observations string together as a necklace, creating moments, all the while taking actual moments and using them as clear and poignant observation. Cook comes off as a young Bruce Springstein, a Box Car Willie cover of a Hank Williams tune played with a wink and a nod, and that somehow makes it more real.

Funny, smart, satirical, populist, academic, subtle, loud, musical, lamentable, social, an inside joke that everyone gets a little of -- just enough so as to leave you wanting more.… (mais)

http://pissandvinegar.vox.com/library/post/in-the-small-of-my-backyard-by-matt-c...

Whenever something from your hometown happens it always carries an extra sheen. Maybe it is becuase Milwaukee WI will always seemed dwarfed by its lumering neighbor to the south Chicago IL. However since Matt Cook released his third book this year I decided I would revisit his poetry collections with a critical eye, and see if the Brew City goggles had given him a little too much credit.

Thankfully I was wrong, and Matt's books are still awesome, and it had less to do with the fact he used to THE slam poet in town. I belive these days that he is a respectable teacher at the local private univerity, but don't quote me on that one.

What Matt Cook has that keeps his poetry fresh is a wry voice and a lack of convention. These are poems without pretension. Well there is pretnesion but it it is playfully so. The range of topics range from backyard filmmakers, modern literature, to the broken intellectuals that haunt college campuses. So what better way to turn you on to a poet than to give you a sample of his work:

James Joyce

He was stupid
He didn't know as much as me
I'd rather throw dead batteries at cows than read him
Everything was going fine before he came along
He started the Civil War
He tried to get the French involved, but they wouldn't listen
They filled him up with desserts
He talked about all the great boxers that came from Ireland
Like he trained them or something
Then he started reading some of his stuff
Right as we told him to get lost
He brought up the potato famine
We said "Your potatoes are plenty good"
"Deal with it"
"Work it out somehow"
Then he said "America must adopt the metric system,
it's much more logical"
We said "No ! We like our rulers, go away"
Thomas Jefferson said you always get the rulers you deserve… (mais)