Comments on CANNED
“It is very lively, topical, and to the point. The poems are jazzy, imagistic, and lyrical. This was one of the best books I reviewed for this contest. A well structured book of poetry has the following: clear and compelling cover image that draws the reader in, a table of contents, interesting back material that may included an author’s photograph and biographical note (I found the back a bit cluttered and do consider a photo), and clean typesetting. CANNED benefits from most of these. Audience includes the general reader of contemporary poetry and of course anyone suffering from unemployment and layoffs and the general economic crisis. This book speaks to a real problem with humor and poetic technique.
“The most professional thing that any book of poetry can have is a list of magazines (print and electronic) where the poems were previously published. This shows seriousness, and a track record. And so the acknowledgements here are a terrific addition. Do consider sending a full manuscript out to some literary presses for consideration. I think this collection is publishable on that level. In terms of the poems themselves, don’t shy away from detail or from images that use the five senses. Abstraction is interesting, but it is detail and imagery that really drive the feeling of any poem, so be specific. Also, add page numbers to the contents. Overall, however, excellent work.”
Judge: 60
19th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards
