Perceptions

by Gary Beck

Disasters of our time come into immediate focus as they occur. We are shown again and again the catastrophic events of the day. It is the lingering effects that are seen from different viewpoints, and produce a sometimes volatile perception of our world. Gary Beck's ability to capture events seen from unusual angles is on shining display in this brilliant new collection from the author of Dawn in Cities and Songs of a Clerk.

Genres: Philosophy

146 pages, Paperback

First published June 13, 2016

About the author

Gary Beck has spent most of his adult life as a theater director and worked as an art dealer when he couldn't earn a living in the theater. He has also been a tennis pro, a ditch digger and a salvage diver. His original plays and translations of Moliere, Aristophanes and Sophocles have been produced Off Broadway. His poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in hundreds of literary magazines and his published books include 28 poetry collections, 11 novels, 3 short story collections, 1 collection of essays and 2 books of plays. Published poetry books include: Dawn in Cities, Assault on Nature, Songs of a Clerk, Civilized Ways, Displays, Perceptions, Fault Lines, Tremors, Perturbations, Rude Awakenings, The Remission of Order, Contusions and Desperate Seeker (Winter Goose Publishing. Forthcoming: Learning Curve and Ignition Point). Earth Links, Too Harsh For Pastels, Severance, Redemption Value, Fractional Disorder and Disruptions (Cyberwit Publishing). His novels include Extreme Change (Winter Goose Publishing). and Wavelength (Cyberwit Publishing). His short story collections include: A Glimpse of Youth (Sweatshoppe Publications). Now I Accuse and other stories (Winter Goose Publishing) and Dogs Don’t Send Flowers and other stories (Wordcatcher Publishing). Collected Essays of Gary Beck (Cyberwit Publishing). The Big Match and other one act plays (Wordcatcher Publishing). Collected Plays of Gary Beck Volume 1 and Plays of Aristophanes translated, then directed by Gary Beck (Cyberwit Publishing). Gary lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Alison McBain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a couple months before the U.S. elections took place, and I found it very thematic. The collection is unapologetically political, examining such hot button topics as war, mass shootings, globalization, environmental destruction, homelessness, unemployment, social media, recessional economic collapse, Western versus non-Western countries, and the stranglehold of oil on America. Mr. Beck doesn't shy away from modern concerns, but rather examines them head-on in a straightforward, narrative style. The poems tell stories of people caught in hopeless situations, people on opposing sides of the political spectrum, and people at war and killing each other. Mr. Beck's message is seldom hidden, but is presented at the forefront of each poem--these are words meant to inform, to awaken.

The poems are searching for the future, and finding things bleak. Overall, the message seems to be anti-trend--that the direction humanity is headed on is a collision course with disaster. The style of the works is mostly free verse, with a few rhymed poems thrown in for variety. Most of the poems are short, one page or less.

If you'd like to learn more about the book and its author, I've written a full review at the ezine Bewildering Stories.

[Jim Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beck has provided us with ninety-nine poems on the human condition. As always, do not let my star count override your judgement of content. More on the stars, counting, and my rating challenges later. Let’s get to the point: Beck’s work.
Beck usually ambushes his reader in a book’s first poem, and Anthem keeps up this tradition. The idea of patriotism wrapped up in growing, or at least potential, prosperity, meets with a dose of reality. To quote Pogo, we have met the enemy, and it is us.
Beck will make you think, especially about the maelstrom that was Iraq after the American-led adventure. Turn to Iraq Monologues for a series of scary insights into what it is to live in such a ‘liberated’ land.
In Beck’s Excursion, I found a disturbing ‘echo’ of Robert Frost’s The Bonfire (war is for everyone, for children too.) In Beck’s poem, tough times are reflected in a child’s conversation. Then again in Original Sin, our damaging of our own surroundings is captured: “We have tainted the air, /poisoned the water, /depleted our food, /until once again /the few have much, /the many little. /The difference this time...” Turn to this poem and read it for yourself. Like Frost, Beck tells us unpleasant truths.
A recurring theme in this collection is the ambiguity of the United States’ position as ‘world protector.’ This occurs in Misunderstood, where it is impossible for the USA to get it right in the eyes of all.
This collection explores our perceptions. We are complicit in the evil deeds of others inasmuch as we allow ourselves to be: “unaware /of the seething torments /driving some to despair /who renounce...” This is a quote from Brute Force.
Beck does venture into other aspects of culture, as in the longer poem Art History, where we find this: “An enterprising monkey /became a wealthy painter /by splashing paint on canvas /and signing it Jackson Rhesus. /New schools of art came and went/ quickly and to such acclaim /that buyers needed experts /to tell them what they liked.” The poem goes on much more from there than you might expect. A fun read.
Conversely Beck can convey tough situations, as in Invocation, where we find this: “I think of my AK-47 /hidden under the floor boards.” This is just one passing thought in a person’s head. Scary.
The dilemma of fighting domestic terror is captured in Who Will Feed Us. If you want ‘literary’ work, turn to A Moral Tale A La Shelley, which begins: “I met a merchant from an oil-poor land, /who said: “Two vast and rusting derricks stand....” The parallel is both clear and clever.
I must confess my enjoyment of A Turbulent Bird is partly because we Au Canada are watching the development of the F-35. Apparently the V-22 Osprey was a similarly ‘challenging’ defense project. I suggest you read the poem, and then google for the Wikipedia description of the plane and its history.
If you were scrolling for the tiny carps, there may be an echo. If there are any typos, I didn’t catch them. Nothing. Let’s get back to the star count.
My personal guidelines, when doing any review, are as follows: five stars means, roughly equal to best in genre. Rarely given. Four stars means, extremely good. Three stars means, definitely recommendable. I am a tough reviewer. There are a lot of poems here that spoke to me, and your favourites may be different from mine. Still, four stars from this curmudgeon seems right on: highly recommended. Enjoy.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary review copy, and I enjoyed it. I found that these poems lack compression. The line breaks and the shape of the poems don't always make sense to me. If you are looking for tight poems that use form, white space, and line breaks to add layers of interpretation, or poems that allow the reader to create individual meanings by bringing their own experiences to the work, these poems probably aren't for you. These poems are, instead, flatly written plain language poems (and what they do, they do well).

The subject matter of these poems is often political or pastoral. There is less surprise than reflection.

The resulting book is filled with observations by the poet. These are quick poems that state flatly what the poet, through his own lens, is thinking or envisioning about the world. This is the beauty and power of this book. Readers are shown the world of the poet. The curtain of another's hidden consciousness is pulled back, and we're permitted to see what's on the other side.

I found the book enjoyable and relaxing to read. I didn't have to ask myself what the poet "really means" in these poems. Instead, I felt like I was sitting on the porch, listening to my uncle talk about whatever popped into his head--sometimes agreeable, sometimes not. I wasn't really part of the conversation, but the subject matter felt honest and connected to my life. I had a general interest in nearly all these poems (and there are many).

This is a very approachable book of poems. It's worth reading and thinking about. This is a solid and well-rounded book that should be on your bookshelf. I would suggest this book to a friend.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perceptions by Gary Beck

is such a fantastic collection of poetry, I don’t know where to start.
Gary Beck writes about events that are happening now in an unfussy way and without diluting his verses with his own opinions.
I love in poem Companions he writes of the fear we all, I am sure, share at what we see on the news: murders, suicide bombings and natural disasters. There are poems on child soldiers, the Russians and Iraq. Light at The End Of ...
“We will forget Iraq
As we forgot Vietnam”
While so much poetry is about love or lust, Perceptions puts into poetry todays world and will
in years to come
remind us of the chaos. In the meantime we must continue to oppose and fight for what we believe in.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review )

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of poems got me thinking. I did enjoy this book very much. It was interesting and not (for me) the typical book of poetry. I think this book and set of poems may me see a whole new side to poetry. thank you! * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*