13thWR

VENOM by Donnie Strickland (Misanthrope Publications, 26pgs, no price listed)

Donnie Strickland wants you to know that he is profoundly disturbed. From the deliberately haphazard way this self-produced chap was thrown together (bad xerox with cross-outs, revision notes left intact) to the letter from the sheriff's office announcing that Mr. Strickland is a convicted sex offender, the reader is bombarded with the concept that this young man is dancing maniacally on the edge.

At a glance, this collection and its contents look like something D.A. Levy might have produced. The whole style harkens back to the mimeo revolution of the '60s. But, Strickland spends so much time trying to convince the reader that he is this outlaw poet character that he doesn't bother with actual poetry. Indeed, the careless manner in which his writing is presented says more about his desire to be noticed for his persona than for his writing ability. Many of his poems are difficult to read. Even though he is capable of keen and uncharacteristic introspection such as "Most days I run from the Minotaur...Every other day, I am the monster and add to the maze," he, nonetheless, directs most of this volume to drivel which is merely self-indulgent and isn't as shocking as he thinks it is ("Coitus Interruptus," a piece about masturbating with a stuffed animal that is only half as gross as he wants it to be and isn't humorous the way it could have been). He also, utilizes much of the remaining space to material which isn't even his own work (an excerpt from Alice in Wonderland, a page of misogynistic humor, and some other bits obviously copied off a web site).

Venom simply lacks bite and is complete waste of this reader's time.

- reviewed by JCE