I've Been Depressed Since the Ducks Left

by Johnny Scarlotti

very dark & sometimes silly prose poetry 18+ brimming with misfits, suicide, substance abuse, graphic sex and violence, etc

Genres: Poetry

154 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2016

Reviews

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading these poems is like watching a friend remove a bandage and tearing off a scab. You can see bone, but he tells you that the accident was funny, and even though he makes you laugh, you know it still hurts.

[Rebecca Gransden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like gazing at crisscrossing vapour trails and making do with the asphyxiating pretty because you know you’re never going to get on that goddamn plane.

[Arthur Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnny Scarlotti is one fucked-up individual, and that means a lot coming from me.

[Casey Kiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fucking hilarious!!! Good god, brace yourself. My favorites are 'I Love Him, but', 'On Writing #27', 'Therapy', '1 Star Review', 'I Don't Know', and 'Tongue Through Cheek'. Very casual punk/trash/shock/real, fuck, i don't know what to call this. At times horrifying, lol, but super entertaining. You will love it or hate it, that's for sure. I will go back to it when I'm bored. or high. or sad.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only other book by Johnny that I've read is Fuck Utah. That was totally mad and violent. This book, his latest one, feels more grown up, he has tightened up his writing. The violence that was in the other book is calmer this time around, it's still there, it's just there is slightly less blood.

The title is one of the best I've come across this year, I have ducks sat outside my office constantly making a noise so I read them a few poems, they didn't seem that interested, they have no taste it seems.

My knowledge of poets is still a bit limited but this time around I could hear Bukowski's voice now and then, the various mistreated sexual partners would have got a chuckle from the main man I think.

It's tough to pick a favourite from the collection, but I've have to pick the dedication to a 1star reviewer of a previous book, had me laughing and I'm sure other authors would enjoy reading it.

Best line in the collection is:

'my name is
The great Johnny Scarlatti
And I'm a poet'

Such a defiant ending to 'Memory loss'

[Rodney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bare and honest in it's outlook. Undeniably expressive, with equal parts humor, violence, sex, and disillusionment. More established than the Utah Sucks book. 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.

[mrhh714 · Rating 5 out of 5]

hell of a lot of heart for a demon boy.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely the most interesting book of poetry I have read. Book #4 in #deweys24hourreadathon