Undead: A Poetry Anthology of Ghosts, Ghouls, and More

by Bianca Lynne Spriggs (Editor), Katerina Stoykova-Klemer (Editor), Tony Barnstone (Contributor)

Undead: A Poetry Anthology of Ghouls, Ghosts, and More offers over seventy contemporary poets contending with a time-honored topic: what lies beyond ‘the great beyond.’ The breadth of selection showcases poems ranging from deceased relatives and celebrities to other undead entities such as, vampires, automatons, angels, and yes, zombies. This anthology makes for a definitive addition to any speculative lit library.

Poetry contributors include: Tony Barnstone, Erinn Batykefer, Melissa Bell, Shaindel Beers, K.T. Billey, Andrea Blythe, Rob Boley, Andrew Bourelle, David Bowles, Suzanne Burns, Cathleen Calbert, Lauren Camp, Lucia Cherciu, May Chong, Jackie Chou, Chloe N. Clark, Wanda Morrow Clevenger, Curtis Crisler, John Paul Davies, Carol V. Davis, Ann DeVilbiss, Joan M. DiMartino, Donelle Dreese, Nettie Farris, Ruth Foley, Joshua Gage, Martha Gehringer, Kim Goldberg, Amelia Gorman, Lea Graham, Yalonda Green, John Grey, Jennifer Hernandez, John Hoppenthaler, Leonard Kress, John James, Tausha Johnson, Mary Soon Lee, Sandi Leibowitz, Alexander Lumans, Jeffrey H. MacLachlan, Amy MacLennan, J.G. McClure, C. McDaniel-Reed, Jeremy Megargee, Tiffany Midge, Sarah Fawn Montgomery, Lenard D. Moore, Annie Neugebauer, Kurt Newton, Valerie Nieman, Jeremy Paden, Tina Parker, Zachary Riddle, Jamieson Ridenhour, Gina Roitman, Nicole Rollender, Margaret Rozga, Eva Schlesinger, Salik Shah, Christina Sng, Bianca Lynne Spriggs, Ashlie Stevens Margo Stever, Karah Stokes, Katerina Stoykova, Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie, Mark Teats, Allison Thorpe, Megan Tilley, Jonathan Travelstead, Holly Lyn Walrath, Emily Paige Wilson, Keith S. Wilson, Hermine Pinson, and Katie Riley

Genres: Poetry, Horror, Anthologies, Paranormal

170 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2018

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this thoroughly. The most satisfyingly eclectic poetry collection. There are difficult pieces and humorous verses, the whole gambit from strictly stylistic to the freest free verse. Spare little pieces like "Well, Water" by Keith S. Wilson and long, narrative pieces like "from The Horror of Haunted Valley" by Tony Barnstone (a 14-sonnet epic with humor and darkness.)

The undead run the gambit, too. There are, as promised, Ghosts, Gouls, and vampires, zombies, pumpkin headed skeletons, even a haunting poem to the supposed death of the city of Detroit. Oh man that got me. "In Response to Time Magazine's Photographic Elegy, 'The Remains of Detroit'" by Yalonda JD Green.

Oof. As I read, I kept thinking "oo I'll mention this one in my review" but there are too many! I'd keep going forever.

I was pleased to see fellow Clevelander Josh Gage in here! It isn't often you pick up an anthology and find an unexpected friend. :)

[cyranoiones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of horror poems gets under the skin. Horror is often in the details, little things that are not quite right. Many of these poems capture this quality of telling horror. One must read for the problem, the thing that is not quite right. And then reread to test your theory. It’s such a fun puzzle to work through, and sometimes, a puzzle with a most disturbing solution — perhaps Kurt Newton’s “Duppy”, for example.

There is a fine line between horror and humor as most fans of the genre know. (Take I think of Cabin in the Woods (2011), as an example.) Several of these poems tend toward the humorous side of horror such as “Zombie Sonnet” by Jamieson Ridenhour.

I found myself quite literally haunted by many of the stories told therein. As I write this review, I can most clearly hear the resounding “thwack” of an ax in the pine forest of described in David Bowles “Night Axe”. I am still a bit unsettled by the implications of the opening of Rob E. Boley’s “Death Takes a Holiday” — “but everyone felt the absence deep in the gut” — and then what proceeds is as horrific as watching John Carpenter’s Thing or reading about the cattle of the sun in Homer’s Odyssey. I look forward to chasing down the other collections in which these authors may be found. Truly a cozy book of horror poems to snuggle into while sipping your favorite warm beverage!

If you are a fan of reading horror, then this anthology is a must read.

Here were my personal favorites from this collection (in order of preference):

--> Death Takes a Holiday by Rob E Boley. — The opening shocked me, and the poem as a whole caused me to appreciate how necessary death is to nature.

--> Night Axe by David Bowles. — I was hesitant to put this in second place because I love the story and setting. I love this poem for all the reasons I love watching Prey on Hulu.

--> from the Horror of Haunted Valley by Tony Barnstone. — I love a good alien invasion tale! I am most impressed with Barnstone’s use of rhyme which flows so naturally that one hardly notices that he is following the structure of a sonnet.

--> Casual Eschatology by C. McDaniel-Reed. — I still love rereading this one while trying to put together the pieces. It’s wonderfully weird, like something the Prophet Isaiah would have said while high or John on Patmos.

--> How to Make a Drum by Sarah Fawn Montgomery. I like what Montgomery does with the idea of an earworm.

--> Spiderbaby by Erin Batykefer. — I’ve read this weird poem multiple times and I’m still not completely sure what’s going on, but the poem is most disturbing. It gets more horrific the more I subject it to analysis.

--> Heart of the Home by May Chong. — Perhaps a twist on Edgar Allan Poe’s Tell Tale Heart, the soundplay of the words in this poem convey the horror well.

--> The Annual Scarecrow Festival by John Paul Davies. — This one reminded me a bit of the eeriness Rachel Carson’s “Fable for Tomorrow.”

--> Grin by Ann V. DeVilbiss. — Not my favorite sort of monster, but a poem that paints a succinct picture that troubles me as if I had experienced it myself.

--> Ashokan: A Catskill Story by John Hoppenthaler. — I love the pioneer setting of this tale and the way it captures how a chance encounter can both chill you to the bones and haunt you for days to come.

--> Potions by Leonard Kress. — I love this poem for how its horror is based in reality while evoking Heath Ledger’s Joker — at least in my opinion.

--> The Day the Zombies Got Chuck by Mark Teats. — Surprisingly poignant.

--> Moon Swan by Mary Soon Lee. — Reading this was like reading Horace’s Odes, in Latin. The poetry is dense, beautiful, and riveting.

--> A Quantum Theory of Starvation by Salik Shah. — What’s not to like about vampires?

--> Beware of Attics — Andrea Blythe.

--> Motherhood by Cathleen Calbert. —I imagine every parent relates to some of the sentiment in this poem, if but for a brief moment only!

--> Zombie Sonnet by Jamieson Ridenhour. — The misdirection and use of humor in this sonnet is brilliant. It reminds one that there is such a fine line between comedy and horror.

--> Toute Seule by Valerie Nieman. — This is another one that I like to think about. The setting, bits of French spoken by an old woman, the barking of dogs create quite the imaginative atmosphere of horror.

--> Duppy by Kurt Newton — still not entirely sure what this was about, but I like it. It seems to lend itself well to a Freudian interpretation.

--> Last Days by J.G. McClure. — It is difficult to not be disturbed by this ecological horror.

--> Ghost Hotel by Martha Galloin Gehringer. — The ending is most vivid and haunting.

--> Molly’s doll by Jeremy Megargee. — There is a particular sound described in this poem that I shall not easily forget.

--> What Remains by Kim Goldberg. — I’m a sucker for a haunted forest.

--> Kentucky September by John James. — A gothic Wendell Berry experience.


Memorable Quotes

“No one knows where Death went that day or why / but everyone felt the absence deep in the gut shortly / after midnight — the writing of masticated bacon somehow / reborn and the tickle of salad eager to settle its roots” (Rob E. Boley)

“They say / inside every man / is a poet, who died young / cannibalized by the conforming world” (Mark Teats).

“Soon, it grew familiar / the way most horror does” (C. McDaniel-Reed)

“I will savor your brain for last, that soft, sweet rind, / your edible, desirable, loveable mind” (Tiffany Midge)

“My mistress's eyes are nothing, like the sun / has burned them out of her shapely skull” (Jamieson Ridenhour).

“I always see love as a disguise. / The mask that shows up to parties / with wine and anecdotes. / The mask that meets your mask on dates / and thinks it is love to order the same entree / or read the same books” (Suzanne Burns)

“We can feel the ghosts of whales / under our bodies / and the hint of the sea’s past” (Holly Lyn Walrath).

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit different than what I expected but in a good way. A lot of the poems felt more like ruminations on loss, grief, nostalgia, and so on. However, there were others that were absolutely on point. Most importantly, the book is a well-picked collection of poems on death, the dead and everything that one might think about regarding those two topics. It's not at all blood and gore, which is appreciated.

Honestly, this book was great. I had wished some more of the poems more explicitly addressed the supernatural, but that's my only real quibble. If you like poetry, this one is a very readable, and fringe offering that won't disappoint.