Temporary Notebook: Poems and Non-Haiku

by Seb Doubinsky

88 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2024

About the author

I was born in Paris, in 1963, right in the middle of a western movie, of which my parents never saw the end. I have thereafter split my life between France and the USA, having spent most of my early childhood in Syracuse, and Seattle. After some studies, a lot of wandering and a few strange jobs, I have finally found myself teaching French literature in Denmark, where I have been living since 2007.

Reviews

[Hana Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I’ve read Seb Doubinsky's poetry, and it was a joy to see him work in a different format - there were many familiar elements and many surprises, too. The poems are short, snappy, clever and insightful. Some read like a statement, some were relaxed daily reflections, a kind of sit-down-with-my-coffee-and-look-out-of-the-window thoughts people share with their closest friends. This cosiness stood out to me. I’ve experienced many things reading poems throughout my life, but I’ve never felt as welcome and invited into somebody’s life as when faced with this book. This please-make-yourself-at-home-and-wear-these-comfy-slippers approach impressed me, as did Seb’s ability to say so much in such few words, and the many twists and turns which left me in awe. There’s brilliant word play, a tingling of anger at the current state of the world, and a comforting sleepiness of an early morning, all presented in little glimpses, one variation after another, creating a kaleidoscopic effect. Anti-capitalist reflections, philosophy, art theory, thought experiments, rebellion, and birdsong, all flicker and leave a pleasant afterimage. This is a wonderful collection worth keeping around to return to at random times of the day to indulge in moments of beauty and outrage, in equal measure.