This collection of poetry is definitely dark but you will find no ghosts, goblins, or vampires hiding out. These poems come alive from the depths of the binding darkness that is found in all of us. Travel down the spiral to visit the barren heart of depression and the scattered mind. Sadness can be paralyzing, madness can be hilarious and together, they will be inspiring. These poems were written between the ages of 18-24.
Casey Renee Kiser, a.k.a. snail viXen, is an American poet who tends to explore identity and suicidal tendencies in connection with emotional and psychological abuse, the journey to self-love, and healing from complicated relationships. Her style is quite lyrical; street-quirk confessional, while her humor is cunty and confrontational, often abrupt but always unsettling. She has written over 20 poetry collections and sprinkled the realm of indie-punk lit, transgressive small press and zines. Her latest collaboration with J.J. Campbell, Altered States of the Unflinching Souls is available now.
She is editor at RaVenGh o s+ Press and has appeared in Mad Swirl, Holy&Intoxicated Publications, The Legendary, Horror Sleaze Trash, Black Petals Lit, Villain Era, Pyre Publishing, Fevers of the Mind, Paper and Ink Literary Zine, 48th Street Press, Alien Buddha Press, Down in the Dirt Magazine, Disturb the Universe Magazine, and frequents HST Quarterly. ‘C. Renee is totally out there on the edge.’ —Misfit Magazine
"Always go too far because that's where you'll find the truth." - Albert Camus
“Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape.” ― William S. Burroughs
Kiser tells it how it is. The sorrow of depression, lost loves and much more dark feelings. A collection of poetry that tramples on the heart spits it out and then buries it in the backyard.
My favorite are the ones that have more of a deep metaphor meaning to it. Some of the poems I felt were pretty basic. But had a nice sting to them. This collection is definitely worth checking out.
Quote:
FAVORITES: *Mouth Like A Razorblade *Goodbyes Are Few *Razorblade Sunday *Splinter In My Tongue *Blue Dirt Princess *I Don't Live In This Body *Dead Dead Bride *Fire Ant *Sickened By The Cure *Guts and Glitter (My Eyes)
Gutter Kisses and A Hug on Garbage Day The title is quite fitting for this collection of poems, I have to say, although they weren't quite as dark as the summary lead me to believe. Or maybe that's because my own personal definition of 'dark" happens to be Tim Burton.
Anyway, the poems definitely radiated a sense of personal and emotional ties between the writing and the author, and that's very important in poetry because it tends to be the deciding factor for many people, myself included, of whether I can keep reading the book or not. That being said, while I did feel like the writing was honest, I didn't feel a connection with absolutely everything that was written about in the poems. That's alright though, I realized, since it takes time to gain experience and to go through some of the situations that were mentioned in the poems, so this is a book I'll be revisiting in several years and then some more years after that to see how my connection with it has changed depending on experience.
The poems are fairly simple and aren't wordy nor hiding behind any kind of pretentious sophisticated interior. This book won't be the next bestseller nor an innovation in the poetry scene. But if and when you want something honest and "human" to read, turn to this book. I'll connect you with what it means to live and go through pain and climb back up on your feet again.
In compliance with FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I absolutely LOVED these poems. They were so open and dark that it was strangely relatable. The author opens up her heart, soul, and memories into this book, and that's what readers love with this kind of stuff. 5/5 stars amazing read.
As Per usual this is cross posted onto my tumblr and twitter.
This book of poems is one of the most beautiful things i have ever read. It may sound like an exaggeration but i have never fallen more in love with poetry than when I was reading this. Everyone was incredible and heart wrenching and it made you think and feel in ways i haven’t thought and felt in years. Thank You Casey Renee Kiser for giving the world such a beautiful book 5 stars
All I can say is wow!!!. In a time when the whole damn world has been fucked up by fake ass people and political correctness the poems in this book tear thru the matrix. I hadn't searched out new poetry or read anything inspiring for 20 plus years and after reading just a couple pages in this book I was awake again and inspired. Its time we all start telling the truth. Looking inside and being honest with ourselves and the world.
Casey does just that and you def need to read this book!!!!
I received this book through a giveaway on Goodreads. The poems in this collection are haunting primarily because of the authentic voice of the speaker. Strong and interesting for those who may not typically be drawn to canonical poetry.
In compliance with FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This poetry collection was slightly higher than 2 stars, maybe 2.5. There were somewhere near 100 poems in this book and out of those 100 poems, I only really liked (connected to?) about 10 of them. At the end of this review, I'll list some of those and some of the more memorable quotes in my opinion because I did enjoy some of it. Where do I start? ... Maybe it is because I am a little bit younger that I didn't personally feel a strong connection to any of these pieces. After reading the description of this book and the introduction, Sadness Becomes Her (which I thought was really well done and actually might like it more than some of the actual poems), I would have thought that I would enjoy this book more. Sometimes I felt like the poems went by too quickly and some of the metaphors and similes I had heard before. There was also a fair amount of cursing in the poems and I personally did not feel like a lot of it was necessary. It came out being sort of crude and out of place. Additionally, there were a couple of poems that contained some sexual themes, which is fine within itself seeing that it is a part of the human experience, but -- I don't know -- they just did not work for me. Yeah. I feel like it could have been done better. I am a lover of the spoken word and I read a lot of poetry, but something about this collection as a whole didn't quite click with me. BUT, on the brighter side some of the individual pieces did. Here is my list of my favorite poems from the collection and some quotes that I liked...
~ BLUE DIRT PRINCESS ~ ~ SNAKESKIN AND THE INEVITABLE SIN ~ ~ ARMY OF PASSION ~ ~ POPCORN GIRLS ~ ~ REJECTION LETTER ~ ~ CONFESSIONS OF A CHRONIC BLEEDER ~ (Probably my favorite.) ~ WHY I LIKE PEPPER ~ ~ SLEEP YOU AWAY ~
**Quotes**
"He says, 'It's been a long day.' I say, 'It's been a long illusion of life.' And we reach in unison to turn out the lights. Then we scrape off our face paint with a knife." -- from Confessions of a Chronic Bleeder
"Pepper gets teased by freedom then consumed by ungrateful mouths but sometimes gets revenge by hanging around a few extra seconds in lip cuts. Pepper is dark like me." -- from Why I Like Pepper
So, while this book is not going to become a favorite of mine, I might revisit it in the future and I wouldn't totally be against trying something else by Casey Renee Kiser.
Love, loss, light, darkness and everything in between.
I originally started reading this book with the expectation that when I wrote this review I'd have a favorite poem to mention and maybe quote a few lines from it. The only problem with that? I can't choose a favorite, they're all so good! I found myself reading and going "Okay this is the one I'm going to talk about... No wait this one... Wait but this one is really good too... Can I get away with talking about 15 different poems?... Oh screw it I can't pick a favorite."
This is a little odd but I'm a poet myself yet I don't really like reading poetry in general. Well this book certainly became an exception to that right from the beginning. I was able to sit there after each poem and let it sink in and actually felt that I could relate to a lot of them.
Most if not all of these poems are laced with dark humor and I found it extremely intriguing. Usually with poetry you feel like you need to just read one or two poems and take a break from it for a while (at least that's how I tend to feel). But with this book I honestly just couldn't put it down. I was enjoying each poem so much that once I finished one, I wanted to dive right in to the next one.
Another thing I like about these poems is that they're detailed enough for you to really feel the emotion in each one but at the same time it leaves you wondering the full story behind them. I found that really intriguing as well - it has a certain air of mystery behind them.
So overall, this is an absolutely amazing book. If you're someone who loves poetry, this is perfect for you. And if you're someone who isn't all that into poetry, guess what? You'll love it too. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
I look forward to reading Kiser's other books. In fact I've already started one of her others, called "Swan Wreck".
In compliance with FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I'm going to update my review as I read the book!! Why? Because it's fun~
Tags: Poetry, Guts on Parade
Running Themes: Identity, Romantic Relationships, Romantic Love, Real Life, Life and Death
Favorite Poems: Diamonds and Sugar, Squirm, Splinter in my Tongue, Kottonmouth, Ravenghost, Missing Funny Bone, Chapped Lips, The Corpse and the Sweet Talker, Unravel, A Death Laced with Life, Why I Like Pepper, Doll, Paper Cut, The Drive-Thru Heart, Couch Divorce, Other Nights, Ode to a Goddess, Heart on a Nail and The Art of Trading. I like "Unravel" the very mostest~
Favorite Line: "Let Heaven give you light and let Hell give you heat."
The reason why I gave the tag Guts on Parade is because I'm really amazed by how brave the author is. She even stamps her face on the back like "this is me" and then you open the book and it's like "and these are my insides". I admire it because the only way I can be honest is to hide my face.
And that's all there is, there isn't any more~
DISCLAIMER: I FREELY USE AND ABUSE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE FOR MY OWN AMUSEMENT
This collection of poems is highly recommended for people who don't usually like poetry. It's a fun ride of darkness and strange humor. Poems like 'I've Got My Mary Janes On', 'Slow Dance with Misery' and 'Promises, Promises' are not to be missed. But one of my favorites is 'Hardcore':
I hate the way he tediously sips at his coffee and I hate the way he must clear his throat just as my dream is lifting off the runway. But I do like the way his lips form when he says "pillow".
He makes me love him against my will... against the grain... against the rules... Hardcore.
I hate the way he never sleeps past 9 a.m. and I hate the way he only curses when he's angry. But I do like the way he hoses me down when I set myself on fire.
He makes me love him against my will... against the waves... against the shower wall... Hardcore.
Gutter Kisses is a good mix of poems about depression, death, drugs and humor. But if you take poetry too seriously, this book is not for you.
I received a copy from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.
I don't normally read poetry, but for a collection with such an intriguing title, I made an exception. And I am very glad I did.
The best way to describe the appeal of Kiser's writing is beautifully ugly imagery. She painted amazing pictures in my mind with her words and things as simple as "cotton candy shower" and "'dry clean only' heart" took my breath away.
All of the poems have a wonderful flow to them yet there is a tremendous variety in tone, rhyme scheme, and language. While many of the subjects are dark and sorrowful, they are presented with a wit and humor that do not leave the reader feeling down and alone, but rather enfolds the reader in their words and offers a fellow traveller in the journey that is human life.
Even if you don't like poetry, give this collection a try.
I first read Casey's book, Swan Wreck and thought it had some fascinating pieces of poetry so I looked her up and found her first effort, Gutter Kisses and a Hug on Garbage Day. Though I bought Swan Wreck from Amazon, Gutter Kisses was rather hard to find and when I finally found a copy, I read it in an hour. I couldn't put it down. It is so raw and full of careless youth and all the dirty things that come with it. I found it exciting even when I didn't fully understand it. I like the darkness of real life in the poems without it being too "goth". I think I'll hold on to this copy as it is hard to come by. Hopefully, she will publish further work on ebooks or for kindle. However, I wouldn't recommend this book to just anyone. It is a unique find for unique readers.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads
I am not a big poetry reader, so this book wasn’t something I would normally gravitate towards. The author does an excellent job getting the reader to have all the feels. The dark topics that the author addresses in her poems make this a book something that cannot be rushed through. Had this book been a regular novel, I would have been able to finish in less than a day. However, after reading each poem I would find myself reflecting and trying to put myself in the author’s situation, trying to figure what was going through her head when she wrote each and every one of these. The reader can clearly see that the writer of these poems pours her heart out and is so raw with her emotions, it feels so real.
It is always difficult for me to rate modern poetry, especially since I use to believe that great poetry stemmed from using strict metre. Ever since I learned how to write metrical poetry, my life changed. But that being said, I was impressed with the self-expressive use of words to provoke eclectic imagery. I felt like I was being shown excerpts of a dark, yet inspiring era. I'm looking forward to reading more in the near future.
I really enjoyed Casey Kiser's dark and delightful poems. I won the book through a contest and I really liked the dark descriptive humor. Visually dark but at the same time a hopeful light shone through. I hope to read more from this talented author.
For those who never quiet got into the poetry world this book emits relatable dark poems that can be enjoyable for many. There is something for anyone whether that be the preteen soul or someone of the later generations. A quick and pleasurable read.