Chronicles

by Janet Kaplan

A witty, penetrating collection of poems by Janet Kaplan that "Chronicle" with an absurdist, mischievous tone and a sense of deep fun, the strange times we find ourselves in. Published in a lovely, letter-press format with a taupe cover, I found these poems astute and inventive, page after page. This is an example of what small presses can do best now--put out high-quality work in a physically pleasing, unique style.

30 pages, Chapbook of Poems

First published July 1, 2013

Reviews

[Alexandra van de Kamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just read "Chronicles," a chapbook of prose poems by Janet Kaplan, just out from PressBoardPress--www.pressboardpress.com -- a small, independent publisher out of Buffalo, NY. This taupe-colored book, with its sparkly sheen, is a pleasing object to hold and to read. The poems are full of wit, uncanny comments on the predicament of being human in our times, and astute, unpredictable lines, such as: "Whenever it rains, I want to take a bow. It's clapping at something, isn't it?" Great titles abound in this collection: "Invention Chronicle," "Impossible Chronicle," "Repetition Chronicle," etc... Many of the poems begin with seemingly impossible or discomforting premises: "Every day, I'm asked to repeat the corpse I was yesterday, to consider dead things and feed them" (from "Repetition Chronicle"). I found myself reveling in the quips and observations of this not-so-reliable narrator and found the work fresh and inventive, page after page.