Arclight

by John Biscello

John Biscello is not simply a novelist and poet, but an alchemist of verses. In Arclight, Biscello captains a voyage that transcends the physical world with graceful introspection, and philosophical wonder. His reflective nature invites us to ponder our own life experiences and ideals. Arclight is a true tribute to the human heart. “I always saw the humanity behind his thick-lidded eyes, the small child,begging for a banquet of golden crumbs to appease the motherache churning in his heart and stomach. A thousand lions pitted against a studded chain smoking beer gutted gladiator, I saw that too, he, the lions, the gladiator, the arena, the smoke and booze, all of it...” from, I See Myself

131 pages, Paperback

Published February 10, 2019

About the author

Originally from Brooklyn, NY, writer, poet, spoken word performer, and playwright, John Biscello, has lived in Taos, NM since 2001. He is the author of three novels: Broken Land, Raking the Dust, and Nocturne Variations; a collection of stories, Freeze Tag; two poetry collections, Arclight and Houses of a Crystal Muse, and an adaptation of classic folk tales, Once Upon a Time: Classic Folktales Reimagined.

His fiction and poetry has appeared in: Art Times, nthposition, The Wanderlust Review, Ophelia Street, Caper, Polyphony, Dilate, Militant Roger, Chokecherries, Farmhouse, BENT, The 555 Collective, Instigator, Brass Sopaipilla, The Iconoclast, Adobe Walls, and Kansas City Voices. Broken Land, A Brooklyn Tale was named Underground Book Reviews 2014 Book of the Year.

Reviews

[Kristiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is poetry at the heart of everything Biscello writes. I read his novel Nocturne Variations earlier this year and became enamoured with his poetic style. Therefore, Arclight was nothing less than a joy to read.

Broken into seven sections, Arclight is structurally balanced with three line thoughts and longer poems which are the pinnacle of this collection. He weaves colours, charm and sentiment into a language of his own; reminiscent of Frost, Plath and Eliot. He succinctly and beautifully describes a sunset as a ‘maraschino sky’ and longer poems like I do not say I love you and Isn’t it Romantic? are honest, gorgeous and in the case of the latter, hilarious. Whilst every piece in the eponymous section ‘Arclight’ is stunning and quickly became my favourite; with poems dedicated to the likes of Fante, Sexton and Joan of Arc.

As I read Arclight, I witnessed Biscello display his versatility, his intelligence and his eclectic muses. I hope you enjoy and witness this too.

[Kindra Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Biscello's Arclight is a tribute to the human heart--a voyage of graceful introspection and philosophical wonder. While reading, I often paused for self-reflection, and to fully absorb the depth of the words. To say this book is beautiful would be an understatement. I wish everyone would read Arclight, and experience the overall uplifting feeling of Biscello's gentle craft.

[Candice Daquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arclight by John Biscello

What an incredible and irreplaceable collection. John Biscello has already earned his stripes with the first poem in his book Arclight. Biscello has that very rare quality of being a natural born poet. His use of words is so sublime and striking, it has the power to cast into shade, most other poets. Such is his radiance, I find the consideration of light for the subject matter of this book to be very apropos. Biscello understands words and language, his mind is vast and deep and he is able to mine the very depths and bring to the surface, language that takes your breath away. It has been a very long time since I have sat quietly entranced by a poet. Usually we dip and feel certain poems acutely but for the entire experience to sweep us into silence, where nothing we say in response could ever articulate the feelings produced, well that is rare. Biscello’s exquisite mind and vast imagination ensure this book is a journey you will want to take more than once. I found myself entranced by his capture and the vivid landscapes of his mind. The turn of prose and poetry interspersed with a sense that this is his only true language, took my breath away and left me reeling with envy and respect for someone so nimble at playing poetry’s pipe. The poets ability to combine knowledge with emotional observation is often clumsy and self-conscious, but when Biscello writes about Ophelia or any other icon of old, he does so with the deftness of the masters who invented such icons, handling the past and present simultaneously through his linguistic ability to place words exactly where they should be. Biscello writes sadness with such a searing beauty that it is impossible to dampen the euphoria you feel upon picking up Arclight. Every edge of his work appears intensely thought out and at the same time, effortlessly fluid. Biscello is a bard of language and emotion, and it would not be premature to pronounce him among the finest living male poets of his day.