Review of "Some Good Writ: Christmas, Cancer, Dad, Wine, Sex and Jeff"
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Alexandra Gierlachowski
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Review of "Some Good Writ: Christmas, Cancer, Dad, Wine, Sex and Jeff"
[Following is a volunteer review of ""Some Good Writ: Christmas, Cancer, Dad, Wine, Sex and Jeff"" by Jeffrey Bailey.]
The main reason I was drawn to read Some Good Writ by Jeffrey Bailey was the subtitle: “Christmas, Cancer, Dad, Wine, Sex and Jeff.” It seemed the vision for this poetry collection was grand—that’s a wide variety of topics to cover for a collection of fewer than 60 poems! For the most part, however, this book delivered (the sex and wine is minimal, but still there).
References to the degeneration of his father’s body as a result of cancer are gritty and don’t pull any punches. There are multiple mentions of their experiences with the healthcare system and how the diagnosis took longer than it really should have. I get the sense his father’s health concerns weren’t taken seriously or even ignored despite being seen by medical professionals multiple times.
This will strike a chord with many readers, as it did with me. Having dealt with cancer and other serious health issues within the immediate family, it was almost a relief seeing someone else going through similar experiences; to see that we’re not alone in our struggles. One can’t help but feel a deep empathy with the author and his father.
Based on the collection’s summary, I initially expected some more humor (at least of the dark variety). In the first half, the poems were mostly thought-provoking, with some truly heartbreaking. At the 60% mark, we get to the Christmas poems and that’s when the fun starts!
The poems dealing with Christmas are fun and witty, really showcasing the author’s dry sense of humor. This description of one’s role as “Santa” really captures the modern and commercial spirit of the holiday: “Santa anonymous, with humility and brisk pace, can’t help but be among the last minute shoppers.”
Despite the emotional efficacy of this poetry collection, I can’t give it higher than two stars in good faith. By my count there were about twenty grammatical errors or typos, too many given the length of the book. In some instances, lines didn’t have a clear meaning, at least to me. What the author meant to convey was perhaps lost in translation? An example: “Thick-headed; if of blood were the tears we shed, the saline that falls away is deceptively gray.”
Having said that, Jeffrey Bailey has a lot of promise as a poet and I do hope to see future works from him that are better edited.
******
"Some Good Writ: Christmas, Cancer, Dad, Wine, Sex and Jeff"
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The main reason I was drawn to read Some Good Writ by Jeffrey Bailey was the subtitle: “Christmas, Cancer, Dad, Wine, Sex and Jeff.” It seemed the vision for this poetry collection was grand—that’s a wide variety of topics to cover for a collection of fewer than 60 poems! For the most part, however, this book delivered (the sex and wine is minimal, but still there).
References to the degeneration of his father’s body as a result of cancer are gritty and don’t pull any punches. There are multiple mentions of their experiences with the healthcare system and how the diagnosis took longer than it really should have. I get the sense his father’s health concerns weren’t taken seriously or even ignored despite being seen by medical professionals multiple times.
This will strike a chord with many readers, as it did with me. Having dealt with cancer and other serious health issues within the immediate family, it was almost a relief seeing someone else going through similar experiences; to see that we’re not alone in our struggles. One can’t help but feel a deep empathy with the author and his father.
Based on the collection’s summary, I initially expected some more humor (at least of the dark variety). In the first half, the poems were mostly thought-provoking, with some truly heartbreaking. At the 60% mark, we get to the Christmas poems and that’s when the fun starts!
The poems dealing with Christmas are fun and witty, really showcasing the author’s dry sense of humor. This description of one’s role as “Santa” really captures the modern and commercial spirit of the holiday: “Santa anonymous, with humility and brisk pace, can’t help but be among the last minute shoppers.”
Despite the emotional efficacy of this poetry collection, I can’t give it higher than two stars in good faith. By my count there were about twenty grammatical errors or typos, too many given the length of the book. In some instances, lines didn’t have a clear meaning, at least to me. What the author meant to convey was perhaps lost in translation? An example: “Thick-headed; if of blood were the tears we shed, the saline that falls away is deceptively gray.”
Having said that, Jeffrey Bailey has a lot of promise as a poet and I do hope to see future works from him that are better edited.
******
"Some Good Writ: Christmas, Cancer, Dad, Wine, Sex and Jeff"
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
