To say that I’m taking a break from poetry would be a bit misleading. But right now, I feel a bit crazy with revisions and upcoming deadlines (not to mention trying to set up some readings for the spring and summer for Wearing Heels in the Rust Belt). So in an effort to save myself from total insanity, I have dedicated October as read horror books month.
I will admit, dear readers, that as a kid I read every horror book in sight. I read Stephen King’s work way before I was supposed to, and I loved this young adult/kid series titled Twilight (no — not by Stephanie Meyer fame, the only information I could find about this out-of-print series can be found here). But, I haven’t read much horror/suspense in recent years. So, I’m trying to catch up.
What have I already read this month? John Ajdive Lindqvist’s novel, Handling the Undead, is his second novel. His first book, at the risk of talking about vampire books, was the very dark, Let the Right One In. I really liked Let the Right One In, and thought that both movies based after the book were very well done. Handling the Undead, about a city that handles zombies after a mysterious electrical storm brings back its dead people, was also a good read — except the ending, which I won’t discuss here, just in case you want to read the book.
Right now, I’m reading Frankenstein’s Monster by Susan Heyboer O’Keefe, a sequel of sorts to the original class, Frankenstein. I know that I’m always taking a risk when I pick up this kind of book, and to be honest, this risk did not pay off. I’m just not enjoying the story, even though the author is attempting to place more sympathy with Victor Frankenstein’s creation. However, it is making me want to go back and read Mary Shelley’s original classic — which is a good thing.
As for monsters in the poetry world? My recommendation of the month is Richard Newman’s chapbook, Monster Gallery: 19 Terrifying and Amazing Monster Sonnets. This link (you will have to scroll down) has information about the chapbook as well as sample poems. I love the idea that Newman dedicated a whole volume to monster poems that are also sonnets! My favorite is “Attack of the Giant Crab People” — but Newman also includes a poem about vampires (for you vampire lovers out there) titled “Vampire Laments the Loss of His Reflection.”
The Scrapper Poet 