April is National Poetry Month. I’m celebrating with a special offer . . .
For the next four weeks, when you buy an autographed copy of Plumstuff (my new book of poems and drawings) via The Rolli Shop, I’ll throw in a free set of three mini art prints, as depicted above.
I’m happy to share the first review of my new book of poems and drawings, Plumstuff.
Writing for The Poetry Question, reviewer Steve Henn invites readers to “Sit with these poems. Give them a 2ndย or third go-round. Let them marinate the brain a bit so you can fully savor the flavor.”
A poet-robot โฆ a chain-smoking seductress โฆ a dying connoisseur. All of these characters and more make appearances in my new collection of poems and drawings, Plumstuff, out today.
Plumstuff is a reinvention of my out-of-print debut Plum Stuff. It contains 20 revised poems from that collection plus 40 new onesโโโand all-new drawings.
Poems and drawings from Plumstuff have appeared in The Walrus, Rattle, The Saturday Evening Post, The Wall Street Journal, Transition, The Feathertale Review, The New Quarterly, Quarterly West, The Antigonish Review and other outlets.
Here’s what the critics are saying…
“Quirky and fanciful … a wild curiosity shop!” – Broken Pencil
“This is a book for those who truly love words.” โ Cloud Lake Literary
โBursting full in its depths.โ โ Cinnabar Moth
โSit with these poems โฆ give them a 2nd or third go-round. Let them marinate the brain a bit so you can fully savor the flavor.โ โ The Poetry Conversation
โA wonderful collection of poetry and drawings.โ โ Grist
There are many ways to get your hands on Plumstuff…
My online store, The Rolli Shop, ships to every country on earth.
I was close to throwing up when I noticed an enormous glowing sign that said BOOKSTORE.
I sat up.
I stood up.
I brushed the leaves off my back.
*
There were a few people inside the store. I felt a little better. As long as several members of the species read, thereโs still hope for us.
The rows and rows of tables at the front of the store were strewn with candles. A beautiful girl was sniffing a blue candle. She sniffed it for about a minute. Then moved on to a yellow one.
In the middle of the store was a ring of six tall bookcases. There were no books on them. I noticed bathrobes โฆ telescopes โฆ letter-openersโฆ An elderly woman grabbed one of each, and dropped them in her basket.
The bookshelves on the back wall were cluttered with stuffed animals. And bubble bath.
In the corner of my eye I spotted a bearded man on a stepladder constructing a pyramid of green tea cans.
โExcuse me,โ I said.
He dropped another can in place.
โYouโre going to laugh,โ I said. โBut I canโt seem to find the books.โ
The man didnโt laugh.
He blinked.
โBooks?โ he said.
โBooks,โ I said.
He blinked again.
He squinted.
He smoothed his beard.
โI donโt thinkโฆโ
He smoothed his beard.
โNoโฆโ
โI donโt think we have those.โ
I looked at him for about a minute.
โAre you sure?โ I said.
He looked at the ceiling.
He smoothed his beard.
โI can take a look,โ he said.
He climbed down the ladder and vanished.
I wandered aroundโฆ
Pen sets โฆ headphones โฆ coconut oilโฆ
My heart almost stopped when I saw a book but it was made of chocolate.
The elderly woman walked by. She was standing on a slant. Her basket was heaped with bubble bath bottles.
The bearded man reappeared.
โNo,โ he said.
He stared at me for at least a minute.
โNo โฆ books?โ I said.
He shook his head.
His beard was unbelievably smooth.
โThank-you,โ I said, eventually.
The man blinked.
He blinked again.
โNo problem,โ he said.
He climbed back up the ladder. And added a capstone to the pyramid.
I backed away. I felt dizzy. I leaned on a bookshelf.
A herd of stuffed elephants fell to the floor.
On my way to the door, I bumped into someone.
โIโm sorry,โ I said.
It was the beautiful girl. She didnโt say anything. She resumed smelling a red candle.
I staggered outside.
I collapsed in the grass.
I threw up.
This story was first published in SYLVIA Magazine.