Ringing

by Rauan Klassnik

Genres: Poetry

20 pages, online chapbook

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Rauan Klassnik

Reviews

[Reb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is offensive to those who are in love in filthy puddles, in jungles chained together, crumbling. To those who fuck while crying. To those turned into huge, concrete, black birds. To jackals filled with milk. To the doomed who who watch Titanic. To glowing wolves in darkness. Rauan Klassnik should cut his monkey fingers off.

Addendum 2-26-09: I stand by my claim that this book is offensive, but no longer believe RK should cut off his monkey fingers.

[Janaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely done R. These poems continue to embody the complex love I found in your Holy Land poems. Anyone who can’t read past the dirty words and shocking acts has probably never given a close read to the Sufi poets. I’d say you’re as akin to Hafiz as you are to J. G. Ballard. There are moments where you approach sentimentality (i.e. loving something more than god does), nonetheless I find the purity refreshing and even heartbreaking at times.

[Eddie Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

A children's book about death and fucking. Well paced with pleasing disjoints between the smooth writing and the rough content and the experienced content and the innocent crayon drawings. Blake echoes somewhere in there?

Would probably be most effective secretly slipped in between Stellaluna and The Very Hungry Caterpillar then pulled out unsuspectingly by a Christian housewife from Ohio.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

delightfully depraved!

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not saying this isn't skillful (if it was just a matter of skill I'd rate it higher) but these poems simply aren't my cup of tea. I'm not saying the crayon drawings that accompany the book aren't skillful, either ( if it was just a matter of skill I'd rate them higher) but the drawings, also, aren't my cup of tea.

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A man cuts his monkey’s fingers off. In heaven I will find you. Among the pigeons and scraped bodies. The sky’s spinning round and round. Vultured color. Darkness throbbing. Like a child spun round and round. It does not stop." - from "Death Poem (Version II)"

[Juliet · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 3/4 stars.

My favorite lines in this were:

"My veins are filled with milk"

&

"All the songs rest inside you--like glass"

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think this guy might be a serial killer

[Zack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks for the invitation, Rauan (I assume you're reading this). Good stuff. Now let me tell you a story: I saw your review of Chelsey Minnis' "Bad Bad" earlier today. I had a memorable date with a girl by that name several years ago (see my article, "An Incredible Vocabulary" at www.milehive.com if you're curious)--but she spelled it Chelsea. Could they be the same person? I may never know.

[Dana Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

depraved, but i like depraved. in fact i seek out depraved things to eye-fuck them. klassnik was right that sometimes the reading wavers but then there are lines lit with gasoline piss, and set on fire to know of burning. reminds me of the band gay for johnny depp. give it a turn.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth reading and it's a free e-chap. What are you waiting for?