Magic & Malarkey

by Michael D. Dolce

Michael Dolce has done poetry to suit the demanding tastes of the effete snob. He's explored the cinquain, the limerick, the haiku, the Petrarchan sonnet, Etc. He has no problem impressing the snot out of people with poems of meticulous structure, meter, rhythm, and rhyme. Sometimes, however, poetry must be more than calculated thoughts confined to a form. Sometimes, poetry needs to be guttural in its expression. Sometimes, especially in times like these, a poem needs to be shouts registered in voluminous anger about the injustices of the society in which we live. Sometimes, a poem needs to rip off the veneer of polite society and reveal the particle board underneath. Sometimes, a poem needs to be a dick joke or a celebration of flatulence.

Magic & Malarkey puts feeling over form, drama over didactics, and passion over perfection. It is a story of facing pain to embrace compassion, and it derides that which is in opposition to such ennoblement.

102 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2019

About the author

I am a poet, humorist, writer, orator, and retired educator. I began my study of the arts long before my formal education, supplementing a bachelor's degree from Eastern New Mexico University and private training with practice along the way, writing my first poem at the age of ten. I have written screenplays for 48 Hour Film Festivals, received the honor of best screenplay for "All the Right Tools," and published my poetry in various venues. Many of my plays have been staged, and I have acted on stage and in film for 39 years. However, these accolades don't bring me the pride that wells up when I thing of my accomplishments in teaching and education, a craft I cultivated for over 22 years and from which I am now moved on. Look for me in the mountains hiking, in an ocean diving, on a road traveling, or delighting in life at home with my lovely wife beside me. It's truly a beautiful life.