Blood Music

by Frank Reardon, SB Stokes (Illustrations), John Dorsey (Introduction)

A collection of Frank Reardon's most recent work that covers the transitions of the poet as he has traversed the country and developed his style into a diverse and heartfelt voice that creates hope inside the turmoil of modern living while painting vivid images for readers to walk into like a road worn pair of shoes gifted to a barefoot traveler in order to make it a little bit further down the road. "Read Frank Reardon at your own risk. He'll open your heart with a corkscrew and leave you wide-eyed and longing for more." -Dan Fante, author of Chump Change, Mooch,"86'd" and Spitting Off Tall Buildings

Genres: Poetry

196 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2013

About the author

Frank Reardon was born in 1974 in Boston, Massachusetts and spent his
first 28 years living there. Since then, he has lived all over the country,
in places such as Alabama, Kansas City and Rhode Island. He currently lives
in the Badlands of North Dakota, still looking for a way to get out. Frank
has been published in various reviews, journals and online zines. His first
book, Interstate Chokehold, was published by NeoPoiesis Press in 2009,
His second Nirvana Haymaker was published by NeoPoiesis Press in 2012.
Blood Music was published by Punk Hostage Press in 2013.

Reviews

[Bud Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very direct, tightly composed poetry. Most of the pieces in this collection reflect back on the poet, rather than keeping the reader at arms length, Reardon reveals personal memoir-ish details, which draw the reader in, in a manner usually reserved to me with novels written in the first person displayed in the poems, "Poolside", "monotony", "as you were". Other poems have a very heavy lean towards talking about the simple truths found in nature itself, "outside", "if I could just be". In Blood Music, Reardon doesn't often fuck around with abstract details that usually derail most poetry for me. He has a knack for profoundly unspooling the cut and dry, whether it is about drinking, boredom, nature, love, loss or the act/art of writing itself. However, in a poem like "confetti" the change in tone at the end of the poem, where a city bus strikes a person trying his hand at suicide and the resulting impact doesn't make body parts and blood spray on the concrete, but rather, confetti exploded out, affecting the crowd in the same surprising way that the best kind of art does. There was never a moment in this collection where I was lost, confused about what the poem was saying, but the thoughts on some of them stayed with me long after the poems ended. Highlights include, "confetti", "university drive", "the bell". Also: the collection had quite and addictive quality to it. The collection begins with a great introduction by poet John Dorsey. Recommended.

[Joaquin Martinez · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most overrated books of poetry I have ever read. These poems are not tight and concise, as others have claimed. The overall impression I had after reading this is that it is a collection of work from an author who is full of himself and caught up in his own hype .

There are better poets out there. You can give this one a substantial pass.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Reardon’s poems are matches set aflame and dropped into the deep well of who we were, who we are, and who we might be, bringing to light all the small moments, the subtle revolutions, and the passing microcosms that we can never get back, save for these fleeting glimpses through poetry like Frank’s. Put together, these small moments reveal the sea change happening within all of us, whether we realize it or not. And from these poems, it is clear that Frank is well aware of the passing of time, the importance of final goodbyes, of the next bend in the wooded trail, of one foot placed before the other. It is an excellent collection that speaks honestly and without pretension, which is a rare and valued commodity in days such as these.

[Meg Tuite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Reardon blows me away every collection! His work is no bullshit, straight to the guts and heart of all. Yes, there's such beauty and musicality in his words, his love of language, but they come from a place of deep knowing, experience, pain and love and that's why his poems are unforgettable and dig in deep. Get a copy! His work comes from blood, the rhythm of the heartbeat.
A poem from the collection:

"Follow it"

within the quiet mind
of every man,
is a snow capped
mountain range,
patiently waiting
to avalanche
into the folds of
discourse & memory."