Breakdown: Banjo Poems

by Dave Bonta

Breakdown: Banjo Poems. Number Nine in the Keystone Chapbook Series, selected by Sascha Feinstein as co-winner of the 2011 Keystone Chapbook Prize:

"These captivating poems unfurl from associative narratives about banjos, yet the series far exceeds merely clever variations on a theme. Since no instrument can choose its player, music connects humanity at its most diverse, and these poems take full advantage of that simple truth. Through unusual settings, believable personification, and strong movement, these banjo poems invite us to consider the origins of the instrument and its history, the diversity of its players, the politics of race and religion, and a great deal more. It’s a concert that'll make you say, 'Oh yeah' and 'Wow.'"

Cover painting: "What I Did Last Summer #11" by Steven Sherrill.

Genres: Poetry

26 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2013

About the author

Poet, editor, and web publisher from central Pennsylvania. Full bio at davebonta.com.

Reviews

[Julene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a Dave Bonta fan, so read this when it first came out.

Luck

Saved by a banjo, she turned
into someone forever glancing
into the rear-view mirror,
someone given to sudden,
unpredictable spasms of laughter.
The amount of space
her arms now claimed with
their emphatic gesticulations
alarmed even herself:
how unladylike!
She stopped smoking & enrolled
in truck-driving school
because, she said, she didn't
ever want to slow down.
She'd pull into rest areas
on the high plains, hold
the banjo in her lap & listen
to the non-stop wind.

[James Collins]

A fun read. You may see my full review at http://jacsongs.blogspot.com/2014/02/...