Good stuff, stuff that was a real treat to read. I read one of my favorite poets, one of my favorite anthologies, one of my favorite chapbooks, and one of my favorite Real Writers Who Is An IRL Friend. In the spirit of let\u2019s get to it<\/em>\u2014I\u2019m talking, of course, about Tiny Crimes<\/em> edited by and Nadxieli Nieto, 1919<\/em> by Eve L. Ewing, They All Seemed Asleep <\/em>by Matthew Rohrer, The Life Of The Party Is Harder To Find Until You\u2019re The Last One Around <\/em>by Adrian Sobol (who has a new book, <\/a>HAIR SHIRT<\/a><\/em>, that you should pre-order<\/a>). <\/p> Tiny Crimes<\/strong><\/em>, edited by Lincoln Michel and Nadxieli Nieto: <\/strong>what a fun anthology! I\u2019m glad I read it cover-to-cover, and I\u2019m really excited to write some flash fiction this year. Have I mentioned that\u2019s a goal? I\u2019m gonna spend 2025 writing flash fiction. Some of it will have crimes. <\/p> 1919<\/strong><\/em> by Eve L. Ewing: <\/strong>stretching the definition of noir a bit, sure, but the genre is<\/em> about how fucked-up things can get in cities. I\u2019ve only read this book once before, but: just like with Gabo<\/a> (and JMW and Zach<\/a>), I\u2019m trying to make sure I read my favorite writers plenty. Keep me tethered to my fundamentals, you know? Reading this book after The Trees<\/a><\/em>\u2014hell, after The Relentless City<\/a><\/em>\u2014felt very much like you could syllabus these books. There\u2019s so much immediacy, so much action in this book, yet Eve never lets you forget there is a \u201cbefore\u201d and \u201cafter\u201d the 1919 riot. This exact thing could always happen again in this country. Something I love, especially in the poem \u201cExodus 10,\u201d is the portrayal of the violent whites as \u201c\u2026slothful, and found only misery in their repose. \/ And the kings, their hearts hardened\u2026\u201d yet the Black people of the city \u201c\u2026found leisure, \/ calling to one another through the darkness as in a child\u2019s game, \/ and they found each other in laughter. And to them, all noise was joyful \/ in the darkness, so that each found the work of the Lord\u201d Do the oppressive classes ever get to enjoy anything? It doesn\u2019t seem like it. Oppressed classes are always partying. <\/p> They All Seemed Asleep<\/strong><\/em> by Matthew Rohrer: <\/strong>again, not really noir in subject matter. Feels<\/em> noir, somehow. I\u2019ve not read enough of Matthew to call him a favorite writer, but this is one of my favorite (chap)books of poetry ever. The incredible storytelling yet immediate verse? That\u2019s GOALS, baby. <\/p> The Life Of The Party Is Harder To Find Until You\u2019re The Last One Around<\/strong><\/em> by Adrian Sobol: <\/strong>I don\u2019t know if Adrian would classify his book as noir, BUT the moment I watched Under The Silver Lake<\/em>\u2014a very good neo-noir\u2014I thought, \u201cI bet Adrian loved this movie.\u201d I wanted to re-read Adrian\u2019s book during Noirvember because I hadn\u2019t read it in a long time. Adrian\u2019s poems are not wool suits and dames with Lugers, Adrian\u2019s poems aren\u2019t even bleak to me, although maybe that says something about me. They\u2019re funny, they\u2019re strange, they\u2019re influenced by James Tate, but there is a certain existential feeling here. A certain \u201clife sure is dark but at least we got poems.\u201d The crying woman on the cover has earned her tears, and she\u2019ll be okay, I\u2019m pretty sure. This book pairs wonderfully with Tiny Crimes<\/em>\u2014the same strain of the absurdity of life runs through both.<\/p> LINKS!<\/strong><\/p> Something to listen to while you browse? Brendan put me onto this band, Microwave, and I\u2019ve really been enjoying them the last week or so. Takes me back to when I was really jamming Manchester Orchestra. Let\u2019s watch their song, \u201cDull,\u201d on Audiotree. <\/p>![\"The](\"https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/a687cbb1-a490-46a1-829d-9270d22f30de_3569x1402.heic\")
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