The Asthmatic Glassblower: and other poems

by Billeh Nickerson

Billeh Nickerson is a poet for our times?a witty, urbane chronicler of life through lavender-coloured glasses. His poems, full of astonishing pleasures, speak to the wonders of the world: about "the push of knowing you're different" and "the pull of wanting to belong." Whether it is professing his unrequited love for Wayne Gretzky, or offering his insight into the tragicomic dynamics of Three's Company, Billeh Nickerson proves that a good poem is not hard to find.

Genres: Poetry, Gay

95 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2001

Reviews

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billeh Nickerson is really hit or miss for me. I admire his writing, he does stark well, he does honest well, he does sexy well. There are two or three poems in this collection that I absolutely love and recommend to all. He's the antidote to people who constantly quote Neruda and Rumi at you.

But sometimes we miss, and I read through a poem without any interest or attachment. Thus goes the last third of this book. So I don't know, how do you rate a collection? The average amount of joy from the whole, or that one brilliant piece you don't want to live without, now you've read it? I guess the answer is, whatever I rate this, I'll pick up his next work without hesitation.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the section entitled "February."

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, broad representation of his work. Everything from fucking men to ladybugs (writing about them; not fucking them).