Bits and Pieces
I’ve got another review, and it’s for another great poetry chapbook. This one comes in a numbered limited edition as well, and I am such a book geek that I find that a big selling point. Of course, what matters most is the content, so let’s get to that.
I should start off by stating my bias. I’ve been a fan of Greg’s poetry ever since I first saw “Hall of Shadows” and “The Pumpkin Man” in my slush pile over a year ago. Greg has a fantastic sense of humor, a dark side and a wonderful talent for balancing the two. That has never been as obvious to me as when I read Bits and Pieces.
Bits and Pieces is a chapbook of Greg’s new and selected poetry. It’s published by Spec House of Poetry and is, in my opinion, a must-have collection. Between the eighteen poems collected within Greg manages to cover a vast amount of the dark poetry spectrum. Some poems made me laugh, some caused a groan and a few gave me shivers. One or two pieces managed to evoke all three reactions at once.
Each poem tells a story and a great many of them lingered in my mind long after I’d shut the book and walked away. They lack pretension and will appeal to those who love poetry as well as to those who are usually frightened by it (the form, not the content). Greg’s style is one that reaches out to the uninitiated and slowly draws them into his world.
One of my favorite pieces was an unnamed three line poem that begins, “Danny, Danny” which haunted my thoughts for hours after I read it. It niggled at my brain and whispered about the possible implications of the last line; none of them good. Another favorite was “The Monster in my Closet” which takes a common childhood fear, turns it on its head and dresses it in drag. It made me laugh out loud when I read it. I may even have snorted.
In short, I highly recommend Greg Schwartz Bits and Pieces to all readers of Niteblade because if you like what you read on our pages you will adore it. Honest.
