The language in this volume is fiercely alive, a fascinating mash-up of rock n roll, media chaos, a touch of hip-hop, the kitchen sink. Robbins does a brilliant job with humor based on enjambment and the echoes of slogans from the mid-20th century on. Rhyming and off-rhyming in short poems, he keeps it moving and keeps you off-balance.What I'm not sure of is what's at the core of his vision (or even if that's quite the right question--there's a bit of David Sheilds knocking about. At times, it feels nihilistic, everything undercutting everything, but at others, it feels like there's if not quite a center at least a direction, a wave moving out towards a world that's better than the mess we've got.Wouldn't shock me if this is five star in the long-run, but for now I'm going to be cautious. If anyone's read it and has thoughts, I'd love to talk it over. While this poet definitely offends my sense of what goes with what, almost every poem had an amazing turn of phrase and every one caught my attention and made me think. But then he would through in something completely disgusting and haywire! I would probably need to read a few more times to start "getting" them and even then they seem so personal to the author that I am not sure I can. He reminds me of the video store guy in Men in Black who lives with his mom. This was one of my favorite lines: "Let's chase dawn's tail across state lines/sing "Crimson and Clover" over and overy/till wonders are taken for road signs." But it was in a stanza to rhyme with ovary.
What do You think about Alien Vs. Predator (2012)?
If you don't know this poet, GET to know him. He's like nothing you've read before.
—MMPSCHUTZ
One of the coolest books of poetry I've ever read.
—Raven
