Before Sunrise Press

Milk and Honey Siren - Various Authors, Edited by Jeremiah Walton
Reviewed by Melanie Boeckmann

Milk and Honey Siren is a 90-page anthology published by Nostrovia! Poetry. The anthology is thematically organized and groups poems by 34 contributors into eight chapters, with two additional short stories by Lance Manion and Samuel McGrath. Adding the two short stories at the end separates them from the poetry-heavy rest of the works, although the subtitle “a poetry anthology” could be expanded to include the prose pieces.

The chapter titles are not self-explanatory but pique curiosity, a feature frequently found in Nostrovia! publications. We first dive into “The Development of Agriculture”, in which Kallima Hamilton takes us into space, and Roger Kees writes about a dream-like experience with the sun. In contrast, Kristen Berger’s poem about the transformation from larvae to moth is infused by realism. The second part, “Welcome to the Monkey Hotel” is made up entirely of Kyle Hemmings’ Invisible Monkeys #1-5, a long form prose poem that I enjoyed immensely for its tongue-in-cheek references to social and cultural phenomena. “Meta-metaphors”, the third chapter is again divided into three shorter poems, two by Benjamin Saphiro and one by Raphael Cohen. In this chapter, Saphiro’s Eastern Hear t, broken stands out by packing everything into just three lines.

The next three chapters are the longest and thus make up the largest part of the anthology. Just some notable examples from these chapters: Dress v. Girl by Stephanie Guo, The Holding On by Allison Grayhurst on grief, or the visually aesthetic 267.-261 by Dan Hedges. I’ve seen that movie, too! by Guiseppi Martino Buonaiuto manages to weave together cultural icons, writers, symbolism and the poem’s storyline. 

Overall, the range of topics, authors and styles is still pleasing rather than confusing. As several poets contribute pieces to more than one chapter, one has the chance to re-discover a favorite and get a better idea of each author’s work. Grouping individual poems under a thematic idea is nicely executed here.

GRADE: B+

Overall, the poems represent an eclectic mix of various styles and contents. That is the strength of an anthology: you get to pick and choose. Unfortunately, the picking is made difficult for us readers through negligence in layout and design. What I missed was an author index and a contributors’ page. Other than their names and the works in this anthology, no further information on any writer is given: I believe this unnecessarily limits authors’ exposure and makes it more difficult for me as a reader. The table of contents should also indicate where individual poems are located, as it is one has to needlessly search again and again for a favorite.

Jayme K.’s Disorderly is now available for pre-order in hardcover. For an extra $6.00 you can receive a copy signed by the author.

You can pre-order it here: Before Sunrise Press Store.

Jeremiah Walton’s To Your Health: Humanity’s Diagnosis
Review by Tahlia Davis

Jeremiah Walton undertakes the heavy task of human observation, delivering a heady mix of politics, spirituality and mass frustration. To Your Health: Humanity’s Diagnosis is to the point. It just so happens that the point is flying somewhere out in the stratosphere…or inside of us…or somewhere, or maybe it’s point A to A or A to Y. It’s hard to tell, really these days.

The diagnosis is delivered, and as far as I can tell, is confusion.
Between the patchwork invocation of Allah, Soul, God, Egypt, and a fallen America, Walton (like the poetically wounded before him)- gives voice to the ongoing suspicion that perhaps being human is a little more than paying taxes and keeping quiet. His subject is a world ‘when the future is less important than the present’, a condition I would not say is a trapping unique to our turbulent times, but is nevertheless, achingly relevant, and he has a strong grip on the frustration of living as a singular whole in a divided world.

But what is wonderful about Walton’s writing is also what undoes it.

I understand that it would almost be hypocritical for an anthology that is elbow deep in problems of communication and understanding to then swerve and deliver you a polished digestible sentence. I get that the rollicking rambling is part of the intention, that Walton intends for his reader to be moving as quickly as his own thought path in a rapid stream of stimulation, a repetitive surge of energy that doesn’t close on a product, but what is lost in the intensity of his rhythm is the intensity of his image.

Sometimes this frustration surfaces with a bittersweet humour the reader cannot help but relate to: ‘hammered into small Peace Sign pins the hippies refuse to wear
 “Smoke weed,” they still cough. “The world is messed up as it is, find peace.”’ Yet at others, the image is heavy handed, lacking subtlety.
Somehow the anger of: ‘Jesus shaves his beard and crucifies Jews screaming, “Fuck You, Dad!” falls a little flat.

The danger with this prosaic poetry, reporting the anger from the front line of disintegrating American dreams, is that it has been done before. If you’re not careful to draw your reader into memorable imagery then what you are left with is a chewed over Bukowski sentiment that glides quickly away from deeper reflection. The reader is left with the impression that maybe it wasn’t quite finished, quite ripened. Strong though the reaction may be, I would like to see Walton not rely on the image of rape for the impression of violation four times in a singular collection.  

This sentence has been uttered before and so if it is to be uttered again it needs to be thoroughly and authentically yours.

GRADE: C+

I like his message I’m just waiting for him to realise the image.

An intimate glimpse into the mind of American poet Ken Dereste Dorcely.

Ken Dereste Dorcely’s poetry collection, Life Tone Changed, will be released May 20 for all eBook formats.

It is available for Pre-Order now.

Jayme K.’s debut novel Disorderly will be released June 10.

Pre-Orders begin May 17.

When three intoxicated teenage girls face DUI charges, at what lengths will they go to escape conviction?

Erika D. Price’s Then One Year is set to be released May 20 for all eBook formats.

Edmund Christopher McCombs’ stuck.at.seven [while awkwardly aiming for ten]
Review by Chris B. Sanchez

A memoir of sorts, this collection of true tales from the life of author Edmund Christopher McCombs showcases some of life’s more awkward moments. From the intro that McCombs provides, it would seem that the events that occur within the book would be an odd combination of circumstance and McCombs’s own social ineptitude, but that is not necessarily the case. Instead, what’s presented is a collection of observations, insights, and awkward moments that for the most part seem to be easily diffused.

There is plenty of humor found in the book, some of it good—McCombs’ hindsight commentary especially provides for several laugh out loud moments—and some of it not-so-good—one cannot help but chuckle at the almost groan inducing misunderstandings that McCombs finds himself in. There are perhaps too many instances of the latter though, wherein McCombs is much too literal in his concepts of how things work. The most notable instance of this is the chapter entitled “Devil’s Playground,” wherein McCombs discusses the idea of men who marry former nuns being too intimidated by the idea of competing with their previous marriage to God. He goes on to discuss the methods by which he and others attempt to contact the Lord through touching their hands together and how each time our hands inadvertently touch we are potentially giving our savior some insight into our wrong-doings.

However, there are some good stories sprinkled throughout, such as the one entitled “Bell of the Ball.” This is probably one of the funniest anecdotes I have ever read! Anyone who can relate to being one of the outcasts while they were in their tweens can appreciate McCombs’s attempt to rise to popularity and just how far he keeps digging himself in before it all comes crashing down on him. That whole teenage period of life itself is just so awkward, as will be emphasized by a few of McCombs’ entries, and it is hard not to laugh at those “what-was-I-thinking” moments (read “Me so Corny”). Even in his adult life, McCombs completely shatters his chances at stardom, as comically detailed in “Survive This.”

Unfortunately, as mentioned before, the entries mostly present the set up for an awkward event, but most of them do not deal with the awkwardness itself. In such cases as “Dead Ringer,” the moment that plunges McCombs into an awkward predicament is delivered only as a punch-line. For all we know, his dinner companions shrug it off light-heartedly, which would not make for a truly awkward situation. The best part of an awkward story is usually the reaction, how people might let it linger in tense silence, or especially when people try so hard to get themselves out of the moment and end up making it far worse. Personally, I was hoping for more of the latter.

GRADE: C+

Appropriately enough, the book warrants a solid seven out of ten. As amusing as the narration by McCombs was, there were only a handful of unique and memorable accounts of his awkwardness. Several of his entries are all too mundane and familiar. Probably most of us have stories that are similar to these if not better in some cases whether they involve stumbling upon pornography, the rants of absent-minded grandparents, the first attempt at a sexual relationship, loathsome bosses, terrible roommates, or a few slips of the tongue here and there. Not there is anything wrong with being relatable, but there are very few moments that help the book stand out or encourage a second reading.