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The Erotic Postulate
“The Erotic Postulate is arresting and subtle in its exploration of the complexities, histories, and realities of gay sexuality, aesthetics, and identity. Many of these poems reveal — and revel in — the erotics of sight and the written word. It is both a cerebral and visceral pleasure to read a poet who brings so much to the page. Anyone who cares about the present — and future — of poetry should read this brilliant, groundbreaking book.” - Alice Fulton
“Matthew Hittinger’s The Erotic Postulate is a sophisticated examination of math’s most basic equation: 1 + 1 = 2, which he reconfigures as ‘your body yours,// my body mine, one next to one as two.’ Suddenly, the politics of desire–physical attraction, emotional distance, surrender, struggle, rejection–trouble the intimacy of any unit (a pair, a couple, a marriage) located on any plane (a wrestling mat, a dance floor, a bed). But in Hittinger’s vision, the intersection of separate entities isn’t limited to one body’s connection to another, it also charts human relationship to landscape, culture, and imagination. Curious and observant, The Erotic Postulate sparkles with wonder.” - Rigoberto González
“Matthew Hittinger’s The Erotic Postulate is a sophisticated examination of math’s most basic equation: 1 + 1 = 2, which he reconfigures as ‘your body yours,// my body mine, one next to one as two.’ Suddenly, the politics of desire–physical attraction, emotional distance, surrender, struggle, rejection–trouble the intimacy of any unit (a pair, a couple, a marriage) located on any plane (a wrestling mat, a dance floor, a bed). But in Hittinger’s vision, the intersection of separate entities isn’t limited to one body’s connection to another, it also charts human relationship to landscape, culture, and imagination. Curious and observant, The Erotic Postulate sparkles with wonder.” - Rigoberto González
120 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2014
2 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Hittinger
17 books55 followersMatthew Hittinger is the author of The Masque of Marilyn (GOSS183, 2017), The Erotic Postulate (2014) and Skin Shift (2012) both from Sibling Rivalry Press, and the chapbooks Thought * Frost * Voodoo (Harbor Editions, 2024), Platos de Sal (Seven Kitchens Press, 2009), Narcissus Resists (GOSS183, 2009), and Pear Slip (Spire Press, 2007) winner of the Spire Press 2006 Chapbook Award. Named a Debut Poet by Poets & Writers Magazine, his work has appeared in many journals and anthologies, and has been featured on Verse Daily, the Academy of American Poets' Poem-a-Day, and the Library of Congress’s The Poet and The Poem.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 4, 2014
A love song to Matthew Hittinger
The New York poet Matthew Hittinger is now in that realm of `important poets of our time'. The publications of his poems increases every year and his works appear in important poetry collections of the highest order. One reason for Hittinger's ever growing popularity is the fact that he experiments with new visual presentations of his words as well as exploring new avenues of thought - fantasies admixed with reality, humanistic themes married to mythological tradition, re-visiting dead poets and artists and finding new pathways to make them come alive in the present time. `THE EROTIC POSTULATE' is the title of this newest collection published by Sibling Rivalry Press - an array of poetry that finds new ways to place words on a page, making that placement an integral part of the significance of each poem. His choice of title is suggestive of the manner in which Hittinger refreshes old ideas, making computations and postulates avenues to explore the meaning of proximity between bodies. These poems explore connection and its opposite, distance. And as Hittinger continues to grow and enjoy wide publication in many journals and anthologies his sophistication of the manner in which he honors words as thoughts grows.
TWO MEN IN A SHOWER
Flipping through reruns, infomercials, I stalled
on palm tree silhouettes, an orange sky. David
Hockney's name faded in, solidified, faded out.
Just days ago, snowed-in, I consumed an entire
volume of his work: the play of light on water
in his paper pools; photo collages and reversed
perspectives, vanishing point now the starting
point for a canvas that opens out, viewer lodged.
When I sat, then, and wrote the words "two men
In a shower," wet plastic stirred, its translucent
surface beaded, droplets heaving into streaks
as shadowy flesh touched, bent, and broke-up
the shower stream's thin spray. I thought, could
a digital snapshot recreate this? It could alter
but then, viewer, would it still hold true? Only
many photos co-joined, not in the sense of mosaic
or of animation flipbook, but whole corners over-
lapped like two bodies that bend, straighten, bend
again. True I washed him then he, me: one arm
lifted, then a leg, muscle sliding against muscle.
And when I drew the curtain back, when my hand
reached out to grab a towel did the account equal
truth or something new? My foot crossed the tiled
lip as he cast a towel, rubbed my back down,
droplets and streaks erased, linked, then released.
Did the scene stall here removed from time or did
you complete it, viewer? Focus on the hand held
against my abdomen, the hand on the frame, what
extends beyond the frame: a scene reflected before
the shower, into the shower, the extended after.
A book full of magic (reference the beautiful cover painting by Christopher Sousa) and this shared poem is but one of many gems.
The New York poet Matthew Hittinger is now in that realm of `important poets of our time'. The publications of his poems increases every year and his works appear in important poetry collections of the highest order. One reason for Hittinger's ever growing popularity is the fact that he experiments with new visual presentations of his words as well as exploring new avenues of thought - fantasies admixed with reality, humanistic themes married to mythological tradition, re-visiting dead poets and artists and finding new pathways to make them come alive in the present time. `THE EROTIC POSTULATE' is the title of this newest collection published by Sibling Rivalry Press - an array of poetry that finds new ways to place words on a page, making that placement an integral part of the significance of each poem. His choice of title is suggestive of the manner in which Hittinger refreshes old ideas, making computations and postulates avenues to explore the meaning of proximity between bodies. These poems explore connection and its opposite, distance. And as Hittinger continues to grow and enjoy wide publication in many journals and anthologies his sophistication of the manner in which he honors words as thoughts grows.
TWO MEN IN A SHOWER
Flipping through reruns, infomercials, I stalled
on palm tree silhouettes, an orange sky. David
Hockney's name faded in, solidified, faded out.
Just days ago, snowed-in, I consumed an entire
volume of his work: the play of light on water
in his paper pools; photo collages and reversed
perspectives, vanishing point now the starting
point for a canvas that opens out, viewer lodged.
When I sat, then, and wrote the words "two men
In a shower," wet plastic stirred, its translucent
surface beaded, droplets heaving into streaks
as shadowy flesh touched, bent, and broke-up
the shower stream's thin spray. I thought, could
a digital snapshot recreate this? It could alter
but then, viewer, would it still hold true? Only
many photos co-joined, not in the sense of mosaic
or of animation flipbook, but whole corners over-
lapped like two bodies that bend, straighten, bend
again. True I washed him then he, me: one arm
lifted, then a leg, muscle sliding against muscle.
And when I drew the curtain back, when my hand
reached out to grab a towel did the account equal
truth or something new? My foot crossed the tiled
lip as he cast a towel, rubbed my back down,
droplets and streaks erased, linked, then released.
Did the scene stall here removed from time or did
you complete it, viewer? Focus on the hand held
against my abdomen, the hand on the frame, what
extends beyond the frame: a scene reflected before
the shower, into the shower, the extended after.
A book full of magic (reference the beautiful cover painting by Christopher Sousa) and this shared poem is but one of many gems.
June 8, 2015
Matthew's poems, as a rule, overflow with imagery, with precision, with expressive and inventive language, rhythm and reference. The Erotic Postulate is no exception, his remarkable attention turned to (visual & verbal) line while considering what makes us individuals, couples, individuals in couples.
There were many places in this book when a phrase, a vision or an idea caught my breath, and there were many poems as well that built up, powerful only in their entirety, revealed when finished and reflected upon.
Matthew's inspiration from the visual arts continues in this collection, and as I read the Notes & Conversations (thank you for including these) I thought it would be fascinating to have a collected edition of his work with the art interspersed with the poems, no doubt a production editor's nightmare acquiring rights and sufficiently high-quality images, but consider this my vote that it would be worthwhile. As is, finishing The Erotic Postulate by reading Notes & Conversations, I immediately wanted to look things up and read it again, a sure sign of a good book.
Another sure sign of excellent poetry, to me at least, is its lingering effect on how I see and hear the world for some time after I stop reading it. The Erotic Postulate holds up well by this measure too, imbuing my walk from train station to office with more interest, more life, more color, more importance. Thank you for another great collection, Matthew - I look forward to the next one!
There were many places in this book when a phrase, a vision or an idea caught my breath, and there were many poems as well that built up, powerful only in their entirety, revealed when finished and reflected upon.
Matthew's inspiration from the visual arts continues in this collection, and as I read the Notes & Conversations (thank you for including these) I thought it would be fascinating to have a collected edition of his work with the art interspersed with the poems, no doubt a production editor's nightmare acquiring rights and sufficiently high-quality images, but consider this my vote that it would be worthwhile. As is, finishing The Erotic Postulate by reading Notes & Conversations, I immediately wanted to look things up and read it again, a sure sign of a good book.
Another sure sign of excellent poetry, to me at least, is its lingering effect on how I see and hear the world for some time after I stop reading it. The Erotic Postulate holds up well by this measure too, imbuing my walk from train station to office with more interest, more life, more color, more importance. Thank you for another great collection, Matthew - I look forward to the next one!
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February 3, 2026you kind of get what you were expecting to here. i'm envious of hittinger living and having a career in new york though
August 15, 2016
After adding books to owned books[shelf goodreads provides] I lost ratings and review. Will attempt to add the review. Books won on goodreads giveaways that is missing review due to this are books I have enjoyed. On a later date I will attempt to remember what I have written about them and will rewrite them.
February 5, 2016
Geometry as source is forced-play on 2 and 3. Thought it was too reliant on onomatopoeia and rhymes. Actually thought section four was most successful, yet almost like it didn't belong in this volume.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews