Poetry: Whiskey Holland By John Yamrus
Whiskey Holland
is
the
name
she goes
by now,
and
she has
a
nice
little place
on 2nd
Street, behind Taylor’s Garage,
and
she
dances
the late
shift
at Legs
And Eggs
out on the
highway and
she’s
mostly happy with her life these days,
but,
every now
and then,
when she
has too much time to herself,
she
gets
a little
bit lonely
and tries
to remember
what it
felt like being Timmy.
John Yamrus is one of the most prolific writers of poetry on the scene today, He is widely considered to be a master of minimalism and the neo-noir in modern poetry. The relaxed style of his writing can be seen as a continuation of the oral tradition of literature associated with Allen Ginsberg and The Beats, and his poems are best appreciated when read aloud. The unlikely pairing of often dark subjects, combined with humor and irreverence has become something of a trademark of his work. His nearly 50 published books, which include not only poetry, but also novels, memoirs and a children’s book, are beginning to appear in translation, and he is a frequent guest on podcasts and television programs. His acclaimed memoir, The Street, is a look back at his early years, growing up less than wealthy, in a Pennsylvania coal town in the late 1950s. His latest books include: seriously! and Doing Cartwheels on Doomsday Afternoon.