Poetry: Like A Bible, By John Yamrus
like
a bible,
he
kept
a copy
of
Truman
Capote’s
IN COLD
BLOOD
on the
table next to the bed.
he
hadn’t
read it in
years.
that
story
of
the
senseless murder
of 4
people on a hot Kansas night.
on
nights
when
he
thought of
it,
he’d touch
the cover
with his
fingers, and he’d think.
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.