With unabashed fervour the Poemfone poets are redefining poetry as we know it. Archaic literary rules that have never been bent have suddenly been broken., and Versus That Hurt chronicles this poetic phenomenon. This is a revolutionary gathering of disparate and brash talent that is not to be missed.
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Here is my personal message to all of youcareerist, slime bucket, fame seeking sycophanticweakworded, same voiced, gladhanding, asskissingbackstabbing, envying, self-serving assholeswho are littering the downtown scene in ever increasing- Manifesto by Penny Arcade
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(@MacmillanUSA, 1 January 1997, paperback, 240 pages, bought from Borders Music and Video, now shutdown)
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This is one of the first poetry collections I ever read. I bought it over twenty years ago and have re-read it many times. I felt a bit sad reading this anthology as I didn't enjoy it as much as I have on previous re-read's. I haven't read it in at least fifteen years. I've changed as a person and a reader and a writer. I remember how much this collection spoke to with it's bold, brass and deeply personal poems. There are still some incredible poems on offer here especially the work of Penny Arcade, Nicole Blackman, Kathy Ebel and Shannon Ketch. However, I was struck by how many poems especially among the male poets are quite explicit and made me uncomfortable. If the poetfone still existed and I called and got some of these poems I'd hang up. One in particular was about a man giving another man a blowjob and was not only explicit went into great detail about the taste of the spunk. I'm not a prude but I don't want to read that. I felt sad I didn't like this collection as much as I have before. The 20-something who bought this feels very sad. I'd still recommend this book though as so many poems are bold, unforgettable and unflinching.
