Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon

by Randall McNair

Any man might turn to his neighborhood bar after misfortune pays a visit. But when oppressive jobs, self-loathing, and a tall glass of liquid comfort strike at an artistic soul, they can trigger something truly unique. In this straightforward set of poems, a blue-collar worker stuck in a white-collar world brings the average Joe’s daily frustrations to life in a raw and tongue-in-cheek voice. Inspired by his decade-long bender at a local watering hole, a BA in Creative Writing and the poetry of Charles Bukowski, Randall McNair channels his malaise into witty, quirky, and above all, honest observations on the human condition. From a simple love of the female form to the heartbreaking loss of beloved family, this volume follows the ups-and-downs of an ordinary existence. If you’ve ever experienced a mundane tragedy, McNair’s reflections on hated professions, the salve of alcohol, and how to face death will resonate. Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon is a refreshing collection of poems for people who hate poetry. If you like exploring the drunken mind, unpretentious writers, and folksy language, then you’ll adore Randall McNair’s levelheaded lines.

130 pages, Hardcover

Published May 28, 2020

Reviews

[Phil Leader · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a surprisingly common refrain from many people who are otherwise quite well read: "I don't like poetry." There are two reasons for this that I can think of. Firstly the way poetry is 'taught' in schools as something to be dissected to its component parts as if were a frog in biology class. But like the frog doing that leaves you with a dead frog (or poem). The second is that people don't feel that poetry speaks to them, it's all about flowers in the Lake District or life in the trenches in World War One, all clever words, strained grammar and rhyming couplets.

Well here is Randall McNair riding in (possibly the worse for wear) to save the day. These are poems about life, love, drinking, loss, failure - every part of the human condition. They don't need to be dissected, or agonised over, or analysed. Their function is to be read and enjoyed as living breathing things. They are what poetry should be, words that evoke an emotional reaction.

McNair is a poet of some talent. There are no strained sentences (there are barely any rhymes), the verse goes from the page straight to the subconscious. They will make you smile, they will make you frown, they will show you that being human is incurable.

It's quite simple. Buy. Read. Enjoy.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dispatches From The Swinging Door Saloon shows an evolving voice seeking a place where he earns a living, is welcomed, and loved for the man and poet he is. In the ‘On Working’ section, the poems present a speaker choosing between “working / a $50/yr. job” as a poet, drinking at a bar while living in a fantasy in “Music Maker,” ambling around in “The Burnout” or being “miserable” in “At Work in the Bank.”

In the following section, ‘On Writing,’ relief is found where the speaker self-reflectively considers the act and purpose of writing. If a job can’t provide satisfaction for the speaker, perhaps writing can be his salvation?

Then in ‘On Drinking,’ the speaker seeks a community in bars. As with the title poem, the Swinging Door Saloon becomes a character in itself by reappearing in multiple poems.

After being absorbed in alcohol and bar culture, the speaker doesn’t find the satisfaction he seeks. McNair intentionally titles the following sections as ‘On Musing,’ ‘On Loving,’ ‘On Living,’ and ‘On Dying.’ In this way, the speaker becomes more introspective as to the direction his life is moving. There’s a tonal shift as he emotionally looks more inward. In “Let the Pumping Begin,” the speaker seeks to balance fatherhood, husbandhood, and sexuality in his marriage. There’s a clear character arc from the speaker’s all-night benders at a bar to his lasting impact as a father and husband. That’s a poetic journey worth traveling on!

[the-librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon is a book of poetry in a genre described by the author as “Poetry of the Absurd.” This book certainly fits that description perfectly—in all the best ways possible. It is fun, off-beat, interesting, and full of life and character.

Poetry is sometimes thought of as stuffy and academic. This book puts all those terms to the side and just enjoys itself and breathes in the space that gives the author to write creatively, imaginatively, and in a very fun way.

A great book of poetry if you are looking for a good time and an escape from reality by taking a deeper look at it through great writing.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite poems from this book mostly involve alcohol, so if you're a militant teetotaler, maybe this book is not for you. My friendly literary acquaintance Randy McNair is a talented poet and possibly an alcoholic or a recovered one, but then, I might be, too. So his work really resonates. I have to make the inevitable comparison to Bukowski, of course, but then I like Randy's work better. There's an upbeat vibe to Randy's work, no matter how grotesque, that I really appreciate these days. Favorite poems include "Johnny McMurphy," "On Punctuation," "Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon," "My 30 Ounce World," "What to Look for While Drinking with Me," "A Vow," "Ants in the Crapper," "Eating My Uncle's Egg McMuffin Hours After He Died," and "Won't You Please Invite Me Up for a Drink?"

[Roy Ricci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give me another

This is a poetry book of insight, foresight, and a sweet blindness of the heart. Randall McHale is a soul searcher of dive bars,dames,and even death.
Cheers for contemporary poetry and take a long delightful sip.