Mixology

by Adrian Matejka

The poems in Adrian Matejka's second collection, Mixology , shapeshift through the myriad meanings of "mixing" to explore and explode ideas of race, skin politics, appropriation, and cultural identity. Whether the focus of the individual poems is musical, digital, or historical, the otherness implicit in being of more than one racial background guides Matejka's work to the inevitable conclusion that all things-no matter how disparate-are parts of the whole.

Genres: Poetry

80 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2009

About the author

Adrian Matejka was born in Nuremberg, Germany but grew up in California and Indiana. He is a graduate of Indiana University and the MFA program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. His first collection of poems, The Devils Garden, won the 2002 Kinereth Gensler Award from Alice James Books. His second collection, Mixology, was a winner of the 2008 National Poetry Series and was published by Penguin Books in 2009. Mixology was subsequently nominated for an NAACP Image Award. He is a Cave Canem fellow and is the recipient of two Illinois Arts Council Literary Awards. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in American Poetry Review, The Best American Poetry 2010, Crab Orchard Review, Gulf Coast, Pleiades, and Prairie Schooner among other journals and anthologies. He teaches at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where he serves as Poetry Editor for Souwester."

Reviews

[hh · Rating 4 out of 5]

stealing tricks

[Natasha Cassinerio · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things I find most interesting about “Mixology” is that the nature of title itself carries a consistent and recurring theme throughout the entire book of poetry, and conveys multiple meanings in surprising ways—not only does Matejka’s poetry mix words and images like musicians mix sounds and lyrics, but he himself is a mixed-race person, what he refers to once as “remixed melanin” (70). The use of the theme of mixing and blending is a consistent tool that Matejka uses throughout as a vehicle to carry his life experiences, as he himself comes from a patchy background. He uses in his words what directly influences him—music, his life, the music in his life, and takes all of it to an interpretive level that helps him think about his feelings towards his own racial identity. The form of the book, i.e. the poem’s usual style of hodge-podged (though related) thoughts, memories, references, and words directly mimic someone who is pulled in multiple cultural directions—racially, musically, intellectually, etc.
I noticed that while reading “Mixology” there were many instances where I did not understand the content at all, mostly because the references he made or the people he mentioned I was not familiar with. However, I took from those poems a definite tone and feeling fueled by the dance of his words and the accompanying images that go with them. Another thing I find interesting about “Mixology” is that I as a reader feel invited into his world, his observations and feelings and experiences as a person whose identity is not so defined, whose identity seems fluid.
In the poem “Do the Right Thing” Matejka describes his encounter with filmmaker Spike Lee, and how when he finally meets him to sign his “Free South Africa” tee shirt, Lee says to him “you/ain’t even black” (15), and goes on to describe that feeling as a “missed free throw feeling in my chest” (15). What I find interesting is that Matekja does not just talk about how it feels to be mixed race—he shows an example of a real-life incident and follows with a description that evokes the way he felt in that situation, one everyone can relate to whether they’ve experienced what Matekja writes about directly or not—disappointment, frustration (at self or in general), a good thing that has fallen short, and the sting of missed opportunity, which are all evoked by the free throw image.
I notice that towards the end of the book, Matekja mentions the “Free South Africa” tee shirt once more in the poem “This Be the Verse”, however instead of offering the shirt up as a vessel for signature and as a personal statement, he tosses his “sweaty/’Free South Africa’ muscle shirt/to the crowds at the recycling bin” (70), which shows that he has changed as a person—the shirt was a well-used connection to his heritage, but as he grows older giving up the shirt is a show of a new phase in Matekja’s life. The mention of “recycling bin” also plays in to the theme of mixing—recycled things are used again but in a different shape or form as something new, much like what he does. The change in attitude towards the shirt in “Do the Right Thing”, which begins with so much hope and pride as he hands the tee shirt over to an idol, quickly diminishes as he is put down, and in “This Be the Verse” he throws that same shirt out to the winds—a release from his attempt at, perhaps, pretending to be someone that he is, but doesn’t feel the need to be so outwardly anymore. He chucks out that era of himself and “recycles” his former self into a new, updated version.
“Mixology” revolves around Matejka’s influences—musicians, historical figures, music, and his own life. He successfully uses all of these elements to explore territory not often explored—the experience of racial identity in terms, in experiences, in feelings that are relatable. I enjoy that he uses current references, ones that even if I don’t understand right away, are still applicable to my generation and the one just before mine. “Mixology” reflects on how Matejka dances within his influences, but by the end of his book he himself gains influence. In one way, when he throws his “Free South Africa” tee shirt into the crowd, he throws out a piece of himself and his own influence to be taken up by those people—the experience he shares become part of the larger American experience—a blending.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

[I'm not writing any sort of review on here anymore, as Amazon owns GoodReads and is not a friend to bookstores and more entities that I love. Pls read the book 50 Ways to Protect Bookstores, and yes, I am not long for this platform.]

[silas denver melvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

quick, sharp, & precise

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard Adrian Matejka do a reading before purchasing his book. These poems beg to be read aloud so all of the sonic gems get a chance to shine. The language explores the blurry lines of race, stereotype, and identity. My favorite poem was Do The Right Thing. I was also very much touched by the lines, "You are a skeleton, wishing/ for the plaster attention/of being broken." - Winter/ Weird Fishes. I enjoyed the section on Texas, being from there I found what he had to say relateable.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how these poems feel on my tongue. Need to hear them out loud. Even when I don't understand the words they still feel good to me. Many of the poems deal with identity, belonging, and finding reflections of you.

[Nightmare · Rating 2 out of 5]

These poems went over my head, I’ll likely return at a later date but for now they surpassed me.

[Kimberly Seibert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mixture of politics, culture, music, and history. Really liked "Samson and Delilah" and "What the Dead are Missing Out On."

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some strong pieces. Would love to hear a reading.

[M- S__ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book because his more recent work, The Big Smoke is one of my favorite poetry collections of the 2010s. Mixology is a little sloppier and less focused as a collection, but still has quite a few gems.

Matejka's reflections on race, politics, and society are alternately biting and personal. His dedications and references place the collection in a fuller pop culture context that work for and against him. In a poem like Do the Right Thing you can really feel the person inside the poem. But with a couple of poems that lead off with quotes from Radiohead, it just feels a little like he heard a song he liked and wrote a poem because he was in the mood.

The separation of the collection into chapters also didn't really work for me. The themes of each circles a central idea, but they were all too underdeveloped.

[T J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong stuff.