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The Configuration Discordant: An exploration of poetry through the lens of murder, madness, and monsters.
Poetry in one form or another has been around almost as long as language. We have used it to communicate our joys and heartbreaks, our victories and our losses. But fear has also been a constant companion, and our ghost stories and monsters stretch their claws back into history as far as the eyes can see. The Configuration Discordant is an exploration of not only that fear, but of our global journey through poetry. 100 poems exploring 75+ forms of poetic expression from the humble haiku to the mysterious Qasida. Only through a full examination of our own fears and creative outlets can we ever hope to master, or give fully into, either....
From the introduction by Angela Yuriko Smith:
“'I release the bones.' – This is a line from “Begging for Me,” a poem you will be introduced to very soon. It sums up the spirit of this collection of poetry. In the following pages all manner of horror will become exposed like a corpse bobbing in a dark sea. I have a warning for you: there is madness ahead.
"John Baltisberger explores the visceral dark. He probes the underbelly of the demon, breathes in the acrid odor of fear and regurgitates it here in this book. Much of the work drifts to fall in layers of meaning. They resurface like silt in murky water, winking under a dim sun to create new currents of thought. One of these is 'Imposter Syndrome.'
"The title alone is sufficient to remind me of the pain inherent in the struggle to fit in. The awkward pretense of fun required to be ‘one of us’ bleeds from the page like so many adolescent tears… but aside from the pain, there is a satisfactory vengeance. Baltisberger lets loose a dark fantasy upon the nightmare, transferring the problem from ‘us’ to ‘them.’"
- Angela Yuriko Smith.
From the introduction by Angela Yuriko Smith:
“'I release the bones.' – This is a line from “Begging for Me,” a poem you will be introduced to very soon. It sums up the spirit of this collection of poetry. In the following pages all manner of horror will become exposed like a corpse bobbing in a dark sea. I have a warning for you: there is madness ahead.
"John Baltisberger explores the visceral dark. He probes the underbelly of the demon, breathes in the acrid odor of fear and regurgitates it here in this book. Much of the work drifts to fall in layers of meaning. They resurface like silt in murky water, winking under a dim sun to create new currents of thought. One of these is 'Imposter Syndrome.'
"The title alone is sufficient to remind me of the pain inherent in the struggle to fit in. The awkward pretense of fun required to be ‘one of us’ bleeds from the page like so many adolescent tears… but aside from the pain, there is a satisfactory vengeance. Baltisberger lets loose a dark fantasy upon the nightmare, transferring the problem from ‘us’ to ‘them.’"
- Angela Yuriko Smith.
- GenresPoetry
137 pages, Paperback
Published December 16, 2019
2 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
John Baltisberger
56 books135 followersJohn Baltisberger is an author of speculative and genre fiction that often focuses on Jewish Elements. Through his writing, he has explored themes of mysticism, faith, sin, and personal responsibility. He lives in Austin, TX with his wife and his daughter.
Though mostly known for his bizarre blend of Jewish mysticism and splatter, John defies being labeled under any one genre. His work has spanned extreme horror, urban fantasy, science fiction, cosmic horror, epic verse, and he has even written a guide for mindful meditation.
While relatively new to the writing community, (his first book was published in 2018) John has become known for his work in verse, having worked in both extremely short works and massive novella-length poetic epics. He continues to work to push himself to explore new avenues of expression and horror literature.
Though mostly known for his bizarre blend of Jewish mysticism and splatter, John defies being labeled under any one genre. His work has spanned extreme horror, urban fantasy, science fiction, cosmic horror, epic verse, and he has even written a guide for mindful meditation.
While relatively new to the writing community, (his first book was published in 2018) John has become known for his work in verse, having worked in both extremely short works and massive novella-length poetic epics. He continues to work to push himself to explore new avenues of expression and horror literature.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 27, 2020
I'm a horror movie critic, so let me start with that. However, I was told there would be Kaiju poetry and jumped on it like I was trying to save my platoon from a live grenade.
I'm not going to post the full review here, but if you want to read it (SPOILERS WARNINGS), you can go to: https://vocal.media/horror/reed-alexa...
So far as the body of the review...
I don’t normally do poetry. Like your typical ‘cane wagger,’ I don’t get it, and I’m not sure I even want it. If you’re going to rhyme or rap, fucking throw a beat behind it.
That being said, like your typical goth, I did like Poe.
What can I say, not terribly original, but there’s a reason why people know who Poe is. The man could make you shiver with his words. He wrote a fucking poem where a man begs for his life while he’s bricked up alive. I didn’t need to get poetry to understand Poe. Which I guess means Poetry isn’t something you get, it’s something you feel, or some cliche garbage like that.
Let me just start by saying, I did enjoy "The Configuration Discordant." While there were actually very few poems I enjoyed over all, the ones that I did, I fucking loved. And I’ll be honest, I don’t even know why. Remember, the most important part here is that I actually HATE poetry. I find it boring, where in, almost nothing about it is entertaining. Even if it’s horror poetry. Most poems just make me roll my eyes in the first couple lines. I can’t take it seriously so I immediately move on. That means, if the author of these poems gets me to stop and actually read them, they’ve accomplished a feat that literally only two poets ever have in my life. That, in of itself, is an accomplishment they can ware like a fucking badge of honor.
And before you write off the words of a cynical poetry hater, let me explain why that’s important. If this book of poetry can get curmudgeonly laymen like me to even so much as chuckle, but importantly, KEEP READING, maybe that can help introduce poetry to a new generation who are still on the fence about it.
I do recommend The Configuration Discordant.
I'm not going to post the full review here, but if you want to read it (SPOILERS WARNINGS), you can go to: https://vocal.media/horror/reed-alexa...
So far as the body of the review...
I don’t normally do poetry. Like your typical ‘cane wagger,’ I don’t get it, and I’m not sure I even want it. If you’re going to rhyme or rap, fucking throw a beat behind it.
That being said, like your typical goth, I did like Poe.
What can I say, not terribly original, but there’s a reason why people know who Poe is. The man could make you shiver with his words. He wrote a fucking poem where a man begs for his life while he’s bricked up alive. I didn’t need to get poetry to understand Poe. Which I guess means Poetry isn’t something you get, it’s something you feel, or some cliche garbage like that.
Let me just start by saying, I did enjoy "The Configuration Discordant." While there were actually very few poems I enjoyed over all, the ones that I did, I fucking loved. And I’ll be honest, I don’t even know why. Remember, the most important part here is that I actually HATE poetry. I find it boring, where in, almost nothing about it is entertaining. Even if it’s horror poetry. Most poems just make me roll my eyes in the first couple lines. I can’t take it seriously so I immediately move on. That means, if the author of these poems gets me to stop and actually read them, they’ve accomplished a feat that literally only two poets ever have in my life. That, in of itself, is an accomplishment they can ware like a fucking badge of honor.
And before you write off the words of a cynical poetry hater, let me explain why that’s important. If this book of poetry can get curmudgeonly laymen like me to even so much as chuckle, but importantly, KEEP READING, maybe that can help introduce poetry to a new generation who are still on the fence about it.
I do recommend The Configuration Discordant.
December 20, 2019
One of the things I truly enjoy about The Configuration Discordant by John Baltisberger is the diverse poetry types and styles, from Ekphrastic to Sonnet to Free Verse Prose, even, as the synopsis states, haiku. Each poem in the collection is a separate and unique work of dark literary art.
Of the ones I personally found impactful, “Cicada’s Prayer” stands out the most. I will never hear the sound of cicadas splitting my eardrums again without feeling foreboding rather than mere annoyance, for “The wings’ buzz is apocalyptical.”
“I Watch” is an entire horror short story within a beautifully crafted poem, vivid and moving and horrifying.
“The Mother Waits” also contains all the elements of a story and is reminiscent of Poe in my mind, dark and flowing, but also with a slight Lovecraftian feel to the storyline.
John Baltisberger has an obvious gift for writing poetry. This sophisticated collection of moving and horrifying poetry is a must for every horror library.
Of the ones I personally found impactful, “Cicada’s Prayer” stands out the most. I will never hear the sound of cicadas splitting my eardrums again without feeling foreboding rather than mere annoyance, for “The wings’ buzz is apocalyptical.”
“I Watch” is an entire horror short story within a beautifully crafted poem, vivid and moving and horrifying.
“The Mother Waits” also contains all the elements of a story and is reminiscent of Poe in my mind, dark and flowing, but also with a slight Lovecraftian feel to the storyline.
John Baltisberger has an obvious gift for writing poetry. This sophisticated collection of moving and horrifying poetry is a must for every horror library.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews