Central Air: Poems

by George Bilgere

With humor and compassion, George Bilgere continues his explorations of the human predicament. The settings of these poems range from Cleveland to Berlin, from childhood to old age. Bilgere’s subject, in the largest sense, is America, in all its craziness, its haunted past, its imperiled future. But what really centers this book is the English language itself, which these poems endeavor to renew, reinvent, and reinvigorate.




 

Genres: Poetry

83 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2022

About the author

Billy Collins once commented that poet George Bilgere "has shown that imaginative wonders and deep emotional truths can be achieved with plain, colloquial American speech." Bilgere has done so in his six collections of poetry, most recently "Imperial" (Pitt Poetry Series). His numerous awards include the May Swenson Poetry Award and a Pushcart Prize. A professor of English at John Carroll University in Cleveland, he is also host of the public radio program WORDPLAY, an offbeat mix of poetry and comedy.

Reviews

[Alarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Bilgere has topped my favorite poet list for many years. I believe the best poets incorporate some humor in their writing, but Bilgere is a master of humor. Just beware, as the back cover of Central Air says, this is “humorous poetry with a deep core of seriousness.” For Bilgere, the mix of humor with heart-wrenching is a literary version of chiaroscuro. A little humor at a funeral can ease the pain. Turning bright lights on the shortcomings of human nature can make us cringe, feel guilt or regret, or appreciate how lucky we’ve been know people who have made our lives better. Many of these poems, especially those about his new life with little boys, can bring a reader to tears. He has a huge repertoire of humor, from silly, laugh out loud, playful, witty, self-deprecating, and zany to sarcastic, dark, and ironic.

Many of Bilgere’s poems are more good humored than humorous, particularly those involving his children. There are also outright dark poems in this collection, because as much as Bilgere likes to make sport of our species, some locations, events, and fears will make us cringe: being trapped in a hotel room with a drunken father, Chernobyl, the Nazi round ups of Jews, a friend randomly shot while sitting in his car, Hiroshima. Some chuckles in a poem a few pages on will help you recover.

Talking about Bilgere’s humor is not funny, so I’ll share a few favorite passages for you to see for yourself why I adore his poetry.

From “Fourth of July” (July 4 is also Bilgere’s birthday.)

“Across the nation, the newly nine-
fingered people, the eight- and seven- and six-
(but rarely five – five is rare) fingered people are hurrying
to the ER….”

In “Vespa,” the poet fantasizes about jumping on a motorbike outside the the Cleveland Public Library. He’s soon joined by Sophia Loren riding behind, jaunting off to a picnic
in Tuscany.

“…I will lie down
with my head in her lap as she feed me
…all the while
reciting my poetry (of course it’s my poetry:
whose fantasy do you think this is?)…”

In “Neighbor,” he describes a woman who’s training her small dog for Dog Agility Trials.

“Dog has won some thirds
in his division. Even some seconds.
In his division he’s doing quite well.
Probably better than I’m doing
in my division, whatever that may be…”

One of my favorite sweet passages is unexpected in a poem titled “Extinction.”

“And my young son looks up
from his cornflakes and says,
it smells like a brand new day,
astonishing me,
as if he had stepped out
from his own silent chrysalis
to join me in the world...

…Do you want to watch your Teletubbies?

And he shakes his head and says,
Teletubbies are stupid, and of course they are,
he’s just turned four and Teletubbies
are so three….”

It’s hard to choose favorite poems from a 5-star collection, but my favorites of the funnier poems are “No Problem” and “German.” The poignant poems are the ones that really get me, especially “For the Slip ‘N Slide,” “”Scar,” and “The Barn.” I urge you to buy or check out Central Air and enjoy the whole collection.

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bilgere does it again! This book was so incredibly excellent. I laughed, I got emotional, and I found myself reading and rereading my favorite poems again and again. He is a consistently good writer, but I enjoyed this collection even more than his last two!

I'm going to have to make some shelf space to make sure that this book has a permanent place in my collection!


...What she won't know
is how the frail, Phidian skull
I held that day in my hands
resounded on the hot concrete.

It echoed all summer, less
like an egg cracking in a bowl,
or a world breaking, than the wild
beating of love against my heart.

[Charles M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful collection of Bilgere’s poems. Conscious of the larger horrors in the world current and historical, he ferrets out the small deep pleasures of a good day, a loving wife and happy young children. Rueful but thankful, these poems I will reread and share. I particularly liked ones about pill bugs, the slip n slide, German, asking his son’s mother to marry him, Paw Patrol, Teletubbies, and a son learning to read.

[Elizabeth Wolf]

I became a huge fan of George Bilgere when FaceTime in Covidtime was used for a close reading and prompt in The Strategic Poet. This book lives up to that promise. I need to go write now, while I’m this inspired.

[Katy Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm late to the party, but I can see how these earlier poems led to his more recent poems. This is a wonderful collection--thought-provoking, funny. There is nothing artificial about George Bilgere's intelligence.

[Teemu Helle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book.

[Katheryn Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is masterful at throwing a serious curveball with only one word. I love his poetry.

[Here's Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book of poems. Feels like a slice of American life.