FEAR, SOME

by Douglas Kearney

Stealing tropes from militancy to minstrelsy, Fear,some broadcasts from the slippery moments when personal, national, racial and aesthetic anxieties overlap. These poems seek to pressurize content ("At the Pink Teacup"), language ("Atomic Buckdance") and form (the Blaxploitation epic-remix, "(dig) Bloom is Boom, Sucka!") until they evoke suspicion, tension, fear and the laughter that rattles after the horrifyingly ridiculous.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

Douglas Kearney is an American poet and librettist. Kearney grew up in Altadena, California.

Kearney attended Howard University as an undergraduate. He also graduated from California Institute of the Arts, with an MFA. His work has appeared in Callaloo, Nocturnes, Jubilat, Gulf Coast.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Michael Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poetry Fear,Some kept me in its grasp from the beginning. Explosive images, phraseology, and meter; musical; resonating ruminations; and even poignant experiences in "Love 'em to Death" make this work feel important. Meaningful? Of course.

Kearney never hits the wall, the electricity pumps through every line and every poem, straight on through to the superbly clever "The Poet Writes the Poem That Will Certainly Make Him Famous." A poetic thrill-ride.

Fortunately, I'll be reviewing this electrifying collection for the new Oranges & Sardines print magazine from Menendez Publications! Needless to say, it's another fine collection I have the honor to review.

[Tara Betts]

Damn. Doug made me laugh and humph while I was reading this. He has some poems where he cycles through words and phrases to reinterpret them in haunting ways, but he also plays with calligrammes and typography to turn stereotypes and minstrelsy on its ear. I like "rallying," the kitchen triptych, "Alameda Street", "Discount Ritual in 4 Parts" and the last poem that runs a little over 20 pages ("The Poet Writes the Poem That Will Certainly Make Him Famous"). I want to write more about this, and I think it's worth checking out if you want to envision the way lines can play with the page and assume double meanings through repetition and shape.