Dancehall

by Tim Stobierski

A queer love story in five acts, Dancehall follows the arc of a relationship from its earliest days to its final, somber conclusion. In these 60 poems, you will join the speaker as they navigate the highs and the lows, the tranquility and the turbulence, the euphoria and the despair that comes with giving yourself fully to another. Through language, imagery, and form at once universal and intimate, you are invited to take part in this love story - not as some distant observer, but as a central The "you" to whom the speaker writes these poems. Experienced poetry readers and poetry novices alike will enjoy the clean, simple style embodied in the majority of the poems. Whether straight or queer, young or old, single or happily partnered, these poems are for anyone who has ever loved or longed for another.

Genres: Poetry

90 pages, Paperback

Published July 3, 2023

Reviews

[thebookwasbetter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was gifted to me by the author, so thank you so much! I liked this :) I am not a huge poetry person so it was nice to step out of my comfort zone and read something that I’m not used to! I loved how this was written almost like a story, but in poetry form. Each act, or chapter, is a different stage in our author/narrator’s relationship. You follow him along through love, lust, and heartbreak. It was a really smart and unique layout! All in all, this was sweet!

[Melissa Leitner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not one to love poetry. Every time the poetry section came up in English class my brain turned to mush. I couldn't understand it. It was as if there was a screen preventing me from deciphering what the words on the page were saying. I'd get angry. Why can't they just write what they mean? It is not an exaggeration to say this book of poetry changed the way I look at poetry. Simple yet ethereal stanzas fill these pages. I was able to immediately understand the story being told to me as well as able to appreciate the actual art of the words on the pages. I sat down to read this expecting to have a hard time grasping the words but instead found myself devouring it in one sitting and immediately starting it again. I am obviously not an expert in poetry but I enjoyed my time with this one and it is one I can see myself returning to in the future to once again ponder these words and feel the energy of the pages.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim is a gifted poet and a pretty cool dude.

[Michelle Stockard Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is a hard thing. It seems so easy when things are going well, and then they're not, and it's a whole other ball of wax. Many of us (like me, for instance) have hardened our hearts to love because of painful experiences, but that doesn't mean we don't look back at times on the love we had and feel sorrow and a deep longing for it. When I first started reading this collection, I felt the pain and longing rush back and I found myself in tears. It's powerful to evoke this kind of reaction in a reader.

These two poems from Act One...I was not ready for my reaction (see above)...

Falling in love with you

was like venturing into the sun
after spending hours in the darkness

Melody

The first April night you and I kissed
in the parking lot behind the bar,
I remember the rain
played piano on my skin--
soft and cool, a song
I'd known the lyrics to
so many years before,
sitting in the backseat of my mother's Volvo
as she drove me home from Sunday school
the week we had learned about grace.

The words escape me,
but with your lips against mine
I can almost hear the tune.

and in Act Three, what I went through after my divorce...

from "Heartbreak echoes"...

There is, of course, that first momentous rip--
clear and fibrous and sharp
and so unlike any other pain you have ever felt.
Don't worry. It will heal.

It is the echoes that will get you,
dull and muffled as they are--


It's the echoes that will get you...and they're still there, however small, even after all these years.

And finally, I'm reminded it does get easier. It did get easier. But there's still what was, and what might have been...

from "Just as breathing"...

But just as breathing
slows once more, and calms
once the running stops,
so, too, does this get easier.

I'll admit it. This collection wrecked me. But what is poetry if it is not inducing such deep emotion? I say, well done, Mr. Stobierski.

Thank you, Poetic Book Tours.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Review

This was a powerful and memorable story. The way the author was able to convey this relationship from start to finish through poetry produced an incredible and emotional read. The subtle yet powerful moments in this relationship really stand out, and the imagery the author used made the narrative these poems were telling feel alive on the page.

The heart of this book was in the main narrative itself, as the reader felt the strong pull of this emotional bond formed between two people. The closeness and the haunting memories of that closeness play a crucial role in the themes of love and loss, and the honest and important language the author uses to bring this queer love story to life was so passionate and engaging.

The Verdict

Thoughtful, emotional, and moving, author Tim Stobierski’s “Dancehall” is a must-read collection of poetry. The structure of this five-act play of sorts and the memorable imagery that captures those heartfelt moments both good and bad made this a compelling read.

[Ace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim Stobierski’s poetry collection examines queer love. Split into five acts, it traces the arc of a relationship, vacillating between its most beautiful medleys (from the poem “Melody”: “the rain / played piano on my skin”) and its most dissonant (from the poem “Crease”: “I’ve been creased before; / it doesn’t hurt, I promise, / nearly as much as you would think.”). Dancehall is as much about intimacy as it is the ghost of that intimacy: The speaker analyzes this breadth of experiences with the perspective that comes from this relationship ending.

In a world where queer books are so often banned, Stobierski’s collection is especially important. It’s a worthwhile read for queer readers and allies alike.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.