Human Ants

by Joe King

Poetry and novels by Charles Bukowski, Allen Ginsberg, Kurt Vonnegut, William S. Burroughs, and others shaped a sharp, steely grey mid-twentieth century America into which any artist in his or her right mind would be afraid to be born. Two generations later, Joe King, who has grown up in this world, populates its bleak, industrialized landscape with Human Ants, featuring bold, sardonic personas who tirelessly try to mean something in a world where they fear insignificance.Although often unapologetically contemporary where it comes to content, King’s poems acknowledge their intellectual predecessors; many are occupied by historical and literary figures (Nostradamus, Iago, Mozart, Jean Valjean.) But the laws of the land as portrayed in this twentieth-first century dystopia King has built in Human Ants still manage to present a sense of hope with keen intelligence and satirical humor. This work reasserts the belief that all writers try to keep what is written on the page can become an agent of change.

80 pages, ebook

Published May 27, 2014

About the author

Joe King got his first taste of professional writing as a print journalist, earning several awards in the field from the Tennessee Press Association. He later expanded his craft by moving into the world of fiction and poetry writing. His works include the novels Raw Egg and A Salted Slug as well as the poetry collection Human Ants. Reviewers of his work have compared his writing to the likes of Dostoevsky, Sartre, Vonnegut, Ginsburg, and Bukowski. King also writes and records songs under the moniker Bones in the Museum, and he has released several albums with this musical project. He lives in Knoxville, TN. For more information about his writing and music, go to www.booksbyjoeking.com.

Reviews

[Amy Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remarkable words!

King's Human Ants is a collection of ... well ... eclectic poetry. Each poem was intense and raw and delved from deep within the psyche of this talented writer. It is not the first book that I've read from King, and it won't be the last. I re-read several of the poems, wondering what would come next and what jumped into the mind to write interesting things, and it doesn't matter. In some ways, the words could be confusing to everyone but the mind it came from, but I found it easy to follow and interpret if you take a minute to do so. One of my favorites in the collection, and there were a few, was "Hear Ye, Hear Ye" ... something about it sticks with me. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Cameron Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Human Ants was the first book of poetry I have picked that wasn’t Edger Allen Poe, in a very ling time. I had completely forgotten how captivating it can be and how powerful so few lines can effect you.
I gave this book three stars because while I really enjoyed a majority of the poems, a few were difficult to understand. The way they were formatted took whatever power they may have held completely out of them. If that issue was corrected I would give it four stars in a heartbeat!
As I said enjoyed the majority of the pieces but my absolute favorite was one toward the beginning of the book called Advice to a younger Sister. I’m not sure if this piece spoke to me because I’m a younger sister or because I have two younger step sisters but it filled me with familiar feelings. Feelings of resignation as well as protectiveness and that fierceness that fills you right before you contradict someone or make an opposing argument.
I recommend this book and wish I could have gotten past the weird formatting to give it four stars. I look forward to reading Mr. King’s novel in the future.