Buzzkill: Apocalypse - An End of the World Anthology

by Dianne Borsenik (Editor/Contributor), John Burroughs (Contributor), J.E. Stanley (Contributor)

Buzzkill: Apocalypse contains 80 pages of fantastic speculative poetry, short fiction, and photos by 47 different contributors, including science fiction luminaries David Brin and Geoffrey Landis, the legendary Lyn Lifshin, poetry "outlaw" S. A. Griffin, and many more. The Mayan Long Count Calendar ends on winter solstice, 2012. The date also coincides with a predicted "galactic alignment", which is believed to occur when our solar system passes directly through the Galactic Equator. The mythology surrounding the abrupt end of the Calendar argues for some kind of cataclysmic or catalystic event to occur, an-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it event. Will we perish by alien attack, biohazard, or radiation? Will Earth be destroyed by a rogue asteroid, suffer a reversal of the magnetic poles, or undergo catastrophic climactic change? Or will the solstice usher in a new age of evolution for mankind, an unprecedented era of peace and understanding? Whether the predictions are for devastation or enlightenment are unclear. From prose poem to concrete, sonnet to rap, haiku to free verse, and in color and black and white, in this fantastic and diverse collection, we explore all the possibilities. Reviewed (excerpt) by J. E. Stanley: "In her poem "TEOTWAWKI", Debbie Goings writes "[insert current doomsday theory here]." And whatever your apocalyptic preference might be, there's an excellent chance that editor Dianne Borsenik has it covered in this highly recommended anthology of 69 pieces by 47 contributors. And, of course,there are some scenarios that would never have imagined. Borsenik includes apocalyptic poems and photos that range in scale all the way from the universal to the personal, and... masterfully orders (them), so that they resonate effectively with each other. As they always have, doomsday predictions will come and go. As noted by T. M. Gottl, "no one remembers/which stories are true/anymore." However, there is no real cause for concern...."

Genres: Poetry

Paperback

First published December 21, 2012

About the author

Dianne Borsenik is active in the northern and mid-Ohio poetry scenes and is the publisher/editor at NightBallet Press.

Her most recent books are Raga for What Comes Next (Stubborn Mule Press, 2019) and Flight of Honey (Luchador Press, 2023). In 2023, Raga for What Comes Next was studied as part of the Modern & Contemporary American Poetry course at Muskingum University.

Borsenik's poems have appeared in hundreds of journals, anthologies, magazines, and more, including in Chiron Review, Main Street Rag, Voices of Cleveland, Poem for Cleveland, and I Thought I Heard a Cardinal Sing: Ohio's Appalachian Voices. You can see the full list of her publications and performances on her website at www.dianneborsenik.com.

Lit Youngstown printed her poem "Disco" on their tee shirts, and Speak of the Devil, an acclaimed cocktail bar in Lorain, Ohio, named a cocktail after her, both of which make her feel like a rock star!

You can connect with Dianne Borsenik on Facebook.