Tell me a story
Small, romantic poems in a big book. Really small poems, especially in the first section of the book. Two, three lines at the most, with lots of white space. Isnor calls the middle section a poetry jam. He and Chris Yorke got drunk one night and wrote poems to each other at some bar. Yorke’s words are in italics. Isnor’s words are in normal font. Reading Yorke’s poetry, it becomes a little clearer where Isnor’s poetry falls down. Here’s some Yorke: “Rich Asian girls on Robson/an Irish Setter/and a Pocky Shop.” Here’s some Isnor: “Beauty! Fool me./Fuel me, fill me up with rules & regulations./Pre_nuptials; hostile take_overs (over tea)/Fool me.” Yorke gets down some images, some concrete moments, and leaves all the connections to the reader’s imagination. Isnor, in comparison, seems bit silly, like he’s just playing around with language, having a bit of fun. Unfortunately, it’s not much fun for the reader. (KS)
chapbook, Gordon B. Isnor and Chris Yorke, $?, 3342 Lakeside Dr., Whistler, BC, V0N 1B3