The Lexical Funk!
Daniel has wanted to be a writer ever since he was in elementary school.He has published stories and articles in such magazines as Slipstream, Black Petals, Spindrift, Zygote in my Coffee, and Leading Edge Science Fiction. He has written four books: The Sage and the Scarecrow (a novel), the Lexical Funk (a short story collection), Reejecttion (short story/ essay collection), and The Ghosts of Nagasaki (a novel).
Review - The New Beat Newbie
Disclaimer: I wrote a book with this guy; so, I can’t even pretend that I don’t have a bias toward his artistic talent.
Long ago, I wrote a short story called “The Lexical Funk.” At the time, I thought I knew exactly what it was, but didn’t understand that it could take many forms, one of the most obvious was beat poetry. From the very first poem, that’s exactly what you get -- funky beat poetry.In the very first poem, Harry writes, “Join a new determination to speak from the soul with words high on wit and wonder./ Stop the devils dragging us under.”
That’s exactly what how I feel about writing and the necessity of writing.
As I read poems like “Mother Nature”, I’m sure that this book needs its own bongo drum. In fact, I’m so sure that this book needs its own bongo drum that there should be a warning on the cover that says, “Bongo drum sold separately.”
Much of this poetry would go very well with a Jazz quartet.
Warning: the book has a social message!
Is it preachy? Yes, but let yourself be preached. You’ll like it.
Poems such as “Hard Luck Hardback” made me nostalgic for the almost-but-not-quite bygone days of used book stores and used books. (I don’t own a Kindle yet, but the day is fast approaching.) Poems such as “Two Steps” made me admire poets, and make me want to give them a dollar. “The Poet Pops his Performance Cherry” was a poem that connected with me because it expressed intimately that pure writerly moment, a subject I have been exploring as well.
This short poetry collection was an awesome way to spend an afternoon.
