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Works of Friction: Poetry & Prose
'Works of Friction' is the debut poetry and prose collection by Author D.B.Wright (AKA Danny Boy). An Eclectic and diverse selection of writings which challenge the reader to visit every extremity of human emotion, from the sweetness of love through to traumatic agonies.
154 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 21, 2021
I read this on my Kindle. This is an unsolicited review.
Author DB Wright offers an excellent collection of poetry and prose for us in this his debut self-published book. I had seen his work and name on Instagram a few times and was intrigued by his book cover and style. I was not disappointed!
What I loved: Mr. Wright works through a plethora of emotions and his study of humans is excellent. While I don't generally care for rhyming and ordered poetry personally, there are a few artists which do so in a way that I can look beyond the rhymes and get to the meat of the work. He is one of these for me. Also, I typically don't care much for books which mix prose and poetry as it feels uneven and jolting, but this was not the case here. He carefully tucked away a few beautifully written prose pieces intermixed in the poetry and in this way, it felt right. The length of the book was great. It felt neither too short and wanting nor too long and winded. The artwork on the cover, as I stated, was what initially drew me in to look at the book and so again I mention, your cover matters! The price was just right.
What I didn't: the e-book was strangely formatted. Typically in a book of poetry, each poem starts on a new page but this book there would be a few spaces and then a new poem at the bottom of the screen. It was different, but not in a good way. Also, sometimes the print would be one color and then sometimes another. This wasn't enough to merit the loss of a star, but is of note. [As I have often explained, these things matter. Formatting, in my grading, is of much less consequence than say grammar or punctuation or spelling, but it does matter.]
Favorite bits: "God Stained" - the first line in particular, wow. 'She was god stained and hell made; Her sparkle bore a weight of shame.' What follows then is a series of contrasts that made me stop in my tracks... and goodness, this is one of the first poems.
"Scar Cycle" - 'It was a game of gaslit confrontation; He'd begin and end all conversation... It was a vortex of regret and instigation; Soft sorrow for hard aggression.' This particular piece struck me hard, having lived through this type of hurt and abuse. I felt it hard.
"He'd Cry" - a long five or six page poem (which I love). this one also hit close to home: 'He'd cry; Rape me, Then he'd try, To desperately deny; Tell the same lies, The ones I despised... He'd cry; After breaking me.'
"Numb" is another series of contrasts, befores and afters.
"Lost" begins 'The night before last night I lived a dark cold dream. I'm standing on a lake of ice In just shorts and an old tee.' and moves on to about 18 pages (on my Kindle) of a dreamy, cold, surreal, intense piece. And we all know how I love the long-form poetry.
"Lovely Lonely" describes the blindness of love, or maybe the fact that the unimportant things stay unimportant and fade away in love. 'In quiet grace, She's lovely lonely. She's blinded To her beauty...'
"They Want My Bride" is another great tribute to love, while others may see only the physical side, he sees the inner qualities even moreso.
"Grey" - everything is grey except you
"Have You?" - 'Have you tried rising in love instead of always falling?' I loved that line.
"Starless Skies" - the unwritten story of not reaching for the stars
I bookmarked way too many pieces. Suffice it to say, I really enjoyed this book. I give it 4.5 stars. I'm looking forward to more from Mr. Wright. Highly recommended to those who love modern rhyming poetry that speaks intimately of the human condition in pain and love and in between.
Author DB Wright offers an excellent collection of poetry and prose for us in this his debut self-published book. I had seen his work and name on Instagram a few times and was intrigued by his book cover and style. I was not disappointed!
What I loved: Mr. Wright works through a plethora of emotions and his study of humans is excellent. While I don't generally care for rhyming and ordered poetry personally, there are a few artists which do so in a way that I can look beyond the rhymes and get to the meat of the work. He is one of these for me. Also, I typically don't care much for books which mix prose and poetry as it feels uneven and jolting, but this was not the case here. He carefully tucked away a few beautifully written prose pieces intermixed in the poetry and in this way, it felt right. The length of the book was great. It felt neither too short and wanting nor too long and winded. The artwork on the cover, as I stated, was what initially drew me in to look at the book and so again I mention, your cover matters! The price was just right.
What I didn't: the e-book was strangely formatted. Typically in a book of poetry, each poem starts on a new page but this book there would be a few spaces and then a new poem at the bottom of the screen. It was different, but not in a good way. Also, sometimes the print would be one color and then sometimes another. This wasn't enough to merit the loss of a star, but is of note. [As I have often explained, these things matter. Formatting, in my grading, is of much less consequence than say grammar or punctuation or spelling, but it does matter.]
Favorite bits: "God Stained" - the first line in particular, wow. 'She was god stained and hell made; Her sparkle bore a weight of shame.' What follows then is a series of contrasts that made me stop in my tracks... and goodness, this is one of the first poems.
"Scar Cycle" - 'It was a game of gaslit confrontation; He'd begin and end all conversation... It was a vortex of regret and instigation; Soft sorrow for hard aggression.' This particular piece struck me hard, having lived through this type of hurt and abuse. I felt it hard.
"He'd Cry" - a long five or six page poem (which I love). this one also hit close to home: 'He'd cry; Rape me, Then he'd try, To desperately deny; Tell the same lies, The ones I despised... He'd cry; After breaking me.'
"Numb" is another series of contrasts, befores and afters.
"Lost" begins 'The night before last night I lived a dark cold dream. I'm standing on a lake of ice In just shorts and an old tee.' and moves on to about 18 pages (on my Kindle) of a dreamy, cold, surreal, intense piece. And we all know how I love the long-form poetry.
"Lovely Lonely" describes the blindness of love, or maybe the fact that the unimportant things stay unimportant and fade away in love. 'In quiet grace, She's lovely lonely. She's blinded To her beauty...'
"They Want My Bride" is another great tribute to love, while others may see only the physical side, he sees the inner qualities even moreso.
"Grey" - everything is grey except you
"Have You?" - 'Have you tried rising in love instead of always falling?' I loved that line.
"Starless Skies" - the unwritten story of not reaching for the stars
I bookmarked way too many pieces. Suffice it to say, I really enjoyed this book. I give it 4.5 stars. I'm looking forward to more from Mr. Wright. Highly recommended to those who love modern rhyming poetry that speaks intimately of the human condition in pain and love and in between.
May 11, 2021
I am blown away by Danny's wordsmithery. He writes about the heavy truths of life. Nothing is sugar-coated here. When I opened this book, I wanted to dig in immediately.
This is a book you will keep around. It demands the reader to take the time to think everything through. Ponder. Taste. Feel. See everything clearly.
And then it just takes you, and it does not let go until the end.
This is a book you will keep around. It demands the reader to take the time to think everything through. Ponder. Taste. Feel. See everything clearly.
And then it just takes you, and it does not let go until the end.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews