Said Beauty to the Blues

Book Details

Author: Bill Campana
Published: 2014
Publisher: Brick Cave Books
Pages (Paperback): 142
Genre: Poetry
Reading Level: Adult
Paperback ISBN-13: 9781938190179
Copyright ID: TX0008402241

Official Description

A poetry tour de force, Bill Campana has done what few poets could ever dream of in writing sharp, entertaining poetry that doesn’t cater to anyone but is enjoyed by all.

A veteran of the 1990’s poetry slam movement, Said Beauty to the Blues proves Bill is a writer of many styles and ideas. In his live performances, he comes at you like a machine gun of short, powerful linguistic observations.

Having this book gives you the opportunity to give each piece it’s due. Bill’s live performances are the thing of legend, if you get to see him, you might get lucky enough to hear one of these.

Accolades/Reviews

“An amazing combination of wit and insight. A rare blending of creativity and solid modern poetry. Bill Campana is one of the most influential poets in Phoenix Arizona. This is a great read.” Neil Gearns

“Loved it! “- Paula Privitera

Excerpt

the art of ice cubes in bourbon
seduced by the convoluted
viewed through a convex lens

glass chandeliers crowded
in a lights-out situation

a drowning clown show
depending on the color scheme

a shipwreck settled in an amber sea
a media frenzy during happy hour

the art of ice cubes in bourbon
crystal dice rolled into a pool of spirits

snake eyes and boxcars
submerged in a dusky afterthought

awaken from this brief trance…resume game
the art of ice cubes in bourbon

when they banned liquor ads on tv
they had no idea i would switch to perfume

they have the same
intoxicating effect

jack daniel’s old number seven
chanel number five

maker’s mark forty-six
nina ricci with a twist

an iron mask of a cat
stares as a woman’s face

turns into a cloth sheet
draping to the floor, covering children in a wave

while her beauty becomes your idea
the art of ice cubes in bourbon

a puppet show
has that “in god we trust”
thing down to a science
but knows there is hell to pay

my wallet
is a leather hand puppet
eats cash, belches capitalism

made from animal skin
as the drums that beat
the jungle out of my back pocket

picks up the check
when the natives eat the explorer
but will not cover the tip

my wallet talks big
reminisces about all those deals
involving fives and ones back in the day

i don’t know how many times
during our routine it has said
once you break a twenty it’s gone

i would pay anything
to get the echoes of that canned laughter
out of my head

Additional details

The book is the first book in the informally named 'Plain Paper Series'
This was Bill's second published book, following Poems From Deep South Scottsdale

Cover Art

The cover art (scanned cover of a notebook from Bill's childhood as background) was composed by designer Bob Nelson. Bob would go on to create the cover art for the additional books in the series:

Availability

The book is no longer in print from Brick Cave.
The Book's Listing on Goodreads