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Borrowed Trouble
Brian Beatty’s third book of short poems in four years, Borrowed Trouble pays modest tribute to poets whose works have inspired him as a reader and a writer. Beatty’s varied reading list ranges from John Ashbery, Amiri Baraka and Besmilr Brigham to C.D. Wright, Franz Wright and James Wright. His writing hits tones that suggest these inspirations without seeming mere imitations.
"This collection doesn’t seek to mimic the writers it celebrates, though it does embody some of their spirits. Beatty does this by reimagining their styles in his own unique voice. That voice is intuitive, personal and surprising, which makes these tributes a pleasure and a discovery." —Grant Clauser, author of Reckless Constellations and The Magician’s Handbook
"This collection doesn’t seek to mimic the writers it celebrates, though it does embody some of their spirits. Beatty does this by reimagining their styles in his own unique voice. That voice is intuitive, personal and surprising, which makes these tributes a pleasure and a discovery." —Grant Clauser, author of Reckless Constellations and The Magician’s Handbook
74 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2019
About the author
Brian Beatty
25 books24 followersI've published five poetry collections: Magpies and Crows (Ravenna Press, 2021), Borrowed Trouble, Dust and Stars: Miniatures (Cholla Needles Press, 2019 and 2018), Brazil, Indiana: A Folk Poem (Kelsay Books, 2017) and Coyotes I Couldn't See (Red Bird Chapbooks, 2016). Hobo Radio, a spoken-word album of my poems featuring original music by Charlie Parr, was released by Corrector Records in early 2021.
My jokes, poems, reviews and short stories have appeared in numerous print and digital publications, including Alba, The American Journal of Poetry, Anti-Heroin Chic, Appalachian Journal, The Bark, Black Bough Poetry (Wales), Conduit, Cowboy Jamboree, CutBank, Daily Drunk Magazine, Dark Mountain (England), 8 Poems, elimae, The Evergreen Review, Floyd County Moonshine, Forklift Ohio, The Freshwater Review, Glasgow Review of Books (Scotland), Gulf Coast, Hobart, Hoosier Noir, Hoot, Hummingbird, Kentucky Review, McSweeney's (online and print), Midwestern Gothic, The Missouri Review, The Moth (Ireland), museum of americana, Noir Nation, NOON, Not Deer Magazine, One Art, Phoebe, Poetry City USA, Prose Poem: An International Journal, Publishers Weekly, Quail Bell, The Quarterly, Rain Taxi, Rattle, The Raw Art Review, Sequestrum, Seventeen, Shotgun Honey, The Southern Review, Switchblade, Sycamore Review and Two Hawks Quarterly, among others.
My writing has also been featured in public art projects and on public radio.
I live in Carmel, Indiana.
My jokes, poems, reviews and short stories have appeared in numerous print and digital publications, including Alba, The American Journal of Poetry, Anti-Heroin Chic, Appalachian Journal, The Bark, Black Bough Poetry (Wales), Conduit, Cowboy Jamboree, CutBank, Daily Drunk Magazine, Dark Mountain (England), 8 Poems, elimae, The Evergreen Review, Floyd County Moonshine, Forklift Ohio, The Freshwater Review, Glasgow Review of Books (Scotland), Gulf Coast, Hobart, Hoosier Noir, Hoot, Hummingbird, Kentucky Review, McSweeney's (online and print), Midwestern Gothic, The Missouri Review, The Moth (Ireland), museum of americana, Noir Nation, NOON, Not Deer Magazine, One Art, Phoebe, Poetry City USA, Prose Poem: An International Journal, Publishers Weekly, Quail Bell, The Quarterly, Rain Taxi, Rattle, The Raw Art Review, Sequestrum, Seventeen, Shotgun Honey, The Southern Review, Switchblade, Sycamore Review and Two Hawks Quarterly, among others.
My writing has also been featured in public art projects and on public radio.
I live in Carmel, Indiana.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 15, 2019
https://rogueliterarysociety.com/f/bo...
Brian Beatty is without doubt an entertainer. His poems here prove it. But I already knew this. First, he was a funny man who made me laugh. Then I got to know him a little through a private message or two, maybe a veiled confession, perhaps a truth rushing headlong into the conversation, and then, of course, his poems. Intimacy is a hard one to figure. But when it happens you know it. It’s just hard to explain. I’ve been drawn to Beatty’s poems for quite some time now. They are simple and I get them. Many of the characters in this particular work I know by name, and that is about it. So no tight frame of reference for his subject matter. But I say if a poem is good it doesn’t matter at all what it is about. There is always something in a piece of art that a body can use. The following offers an idea for what I am reviewing regarding the poet and person of Brian Beatty.
Niedecker (1903–1970)
I once roused a wild
turkey out of the woods
behind that Burger King
on the edge of town.
Time stopped as we faced off
in the drive-thru lane, both convinced
the right of way belonged to us.
I’m plenty aware how ridiculous
this must sound.
But I was hungry.
I can picture Brian doing this turkey trot even if he is attempting in this poem to somehow portray Niedecker, or represent her as mentor, of whom I know absolutely nothing. Same goes for a good portion of the others in this book. Half the names I don’t even like, or respect. I consider the bulk of them mediocre poets. I might have read one or two of their insufficient lines at one time or another. And I refuse to waste anymore of my time. But here is a good Beatty poem regarding someone I consider as deserving of the handle iconic poet:
William Carlos Williams (1883–1963)
There were no white chickens the night
I followed my muse out into that lightning storm.
And the wheelbarrow hunched in prayer against
the side of the house was only red from rust.
If you spend a little time with this one my guess is eventually a certain image will come through via your consciousness. That’s how it is with good poetry. Even to the least of us, even if one is not prone to reading poetry, the names of a few of Beatty’s collected poets should be recognized. And maybe there comes with that recognition another shot worth taking at getting inside a dandy poem. Names like Emily Dickinson and Wallace Stevens should come as no surprise. And others such as Jack Gilbert and Raymond Carver are certain to make the greatest haters among us to reconsider poetry as somehow beneficial. But be wary of a few of my favorite writers included in Beatty’s book. Jim Harrison, Sam Shepard, and Richard Brautigan just to name three. No matter what the official deciders say, these dudes were not great poets, but rather fascinating personalities who knew how to write novels, memoirs, and plays. Given a long look at this list of dead poets, Brian Beatty obviously reads a lot of verse. He also writes a lot. And both are good things when it comes to my pal Beatty.
Brian Beatty is without doubt an entertainer. His poems here prove it. But I already knew this. First, he was a funny man who made me laugh. Then I got to know him a little through a private message or two, maybe a veiled confession, perhaps a truth rushing headlong into the conversation, and then, of course, his poems. Intimacy is a hard one to figure. But when it happens you know it. It’s just hard to explain. I’ve been drawn to Beatty’s poems for quite some time now. They are simple and I get them. Many of the characters in this particular work I know by name, and that is about it. So no tight frame of reference for his subject matter. But I say if a poem is good it doesn’t matter at all what it is about. There is always something in a piece of art that a body can use. The following offers an idea for what I am reviewing regarding the poet and person of Brian Beatty.
Niedecker (1903–1970)
I once roused a wild
turkey out of the woods
behind that Burger King
on the edge of town.
Time stopped as we faced off
in the drive-thru lane, both convinced
the right of way belonged to us.
I’m plenty aware how ridiculous
this must sound.
But I was hungry.
I can picture Brian doing this turkey trot even if he is attempting in this poem to somehow portray Niedecker, or represent her as mentor, of whom I know absolutely nothing. Same goes for a good portion of the others in this book. Half the names I don’t even like, or respect. I consider the bulk of them mediocre poets. I might have read one or two of their insufficient lines at one time or another. And I refuse to waste anymore of my time. But here is a good Beatty poem regarding someone I consider as deserving of the handle iconic poet:
William Carlos Williams (1883–1963)
There were no white chickens the night
I followed my muse out into that lightning storm.
And the wheelbarrow hunched in prayer against
the side of the house was only red from rust.
If you spend a little time with this one my guess is eventually a certain image will come through via your consciousness. That’s how it is with good poetry. Even to the least of us, even if one is not prone to reading poetry, the names of a few of Beatty’s collected poets should be recognized. And maybe there comes with that recognition another shot worth taking at getting inside a dandy poem. Names like Emily Dickinson and Wallace Stevens should come as no surprise. And others such as Jack Gilbert and Raymond Carver are certain to make the greatest haters among us to reconsider poetry as somehow beneficial. But be wary of a few of my favorite writers included in Beatty’s book. Jim Harrison, Sam Shepard, and Richard Brautigan just to name three. No matter what the official deciders say, these dudes were not great poets, but rather fascinating personalities who knew how to write novels, memoirs, and plays. Given a long look at this list of dead poets, Brian Beatty obviously reads a lot of verse. He also writes a lot. And both are good things when it comes to my pal Beatty.
November 26, 2019
5 out of 5 stars. This is an outstanding and unique collection of poems by Brian Beatty.
The collection is unique because he interweaves his personal experience with the style and voice of his poetic heroes. The writing and image descriptions are sharp and true, and so is the humor sprinkled throughout.
I recognized most of the poets such as Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsberg, James Dickey, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, Raymond Carver, Emily Dickinson, Mary Oliver, Wallace Stevens, Samuel Beckett, Sam Shepard, e. e. cummmings, Sylvia Plath, et al. For the ones I was not familiar with, Borrowed Trouble inspired me to seek them out and read their work.
Highly recommended for poetry readers.
The collection is unique because he interweaves his personal experience with the style and voice of his poetic heroes. The writing and image descriptions are sharp and true, and so is the humor sprinkled throughout.
I recognized most of the poets such as Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsberg, James Dickey, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, Raymond Carver, Emily Dickinson, Mary Oliver, Wallace Stevens, Samuel Beckett, Sam Shepard, e. e. cummmings, Sylvia Plath, et al. For the ones I was not familiar with, Borrowed Trouble inspired me to seek them out and read their work.
Highly recommended for poetry readers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews