The first issue of The Conium Review is printed and ready for release.  It contains over 150 pages of poetry and fiction from 26 authors.  We couldn’t have gotten this project started without generous support from readers, writers, and friends.  We’d like to publicly thank the following people for their contributions to our IndieGoGo fundraiser:

Thor Benson

Rachelle Christensen

Ian Chung

Shelly Coates

Amanda Combs

Brandon Combs

Matthew Denvir

Camilo Guaqueta

Jeff Hamm

Sharon Kilfoy

Jen Knox

Betsy Lindeland

Roberta McDonald

Paul Newton

Sabrina Ricci

Steve Rozenski

Kamala Sankaram

Susheela Sankaram

Joe Spurr

Benjamin van Loon

ReadLearnWrite.com

Sandy Weisto

Kirby Wright

Neila Mezynski’s recent book, Glimpses, pre-dates her chapbook Yellow Fringe Dress (which I reviewed last month).  It was released in 2011 by Scrambler Books, so its publication date isn’t exactly ancient, but the book itself contains a blend of old and new work from this prolific poet.

Yellow Fringe Dress, by contrast, contains more new material, and its ebb is collective in nature.  Glimpses is a hodgepodge of different selections—but this isn’t a major problem throughout most of the book.  Mezynski told me that the older pieces were left in because they are “sincere work, which seems to make a difference.”  She added “[the poems] are my kids”—a sentiment that most writers can appreciate.

So what does Glimpses do as a collection?  It doesn’t have the same extended narrative arc as Mezynski’s newest book, but it approaches the thin (or perhaps thick) line between poetry and prose with Mezynski’s usual prowess.  In other words, this collection seeks to infuse poetics into fragmentary, micro-fictions.  It is a hybrid piece from a poet who thrives in this arena.  Unlike some of her other works, this book contains almost no deliberate structure.  It represents prose poetry in its true form—playing with syntax and diction within the confines of a paragraphed structure.  It’s an interesting experiment that pays off through the breadth of Glimpses.

Though Glimoses doesn’t have the unified arc that one sometimes expects from a standalone book, it doesn’t need it most of the time (admittedly, the flow gets occasionally interrupted when several short poems are arranged in succession).  This book achieves what it sets out to do.  It provides a good overview of Mezynski’s style, and it offers a series of individualized poems that let the reader pick up this book for a lengthy read or a single-page exploration.  There are minimalistic forays into microcosmic characters—like the allegorical poem “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Stay.”  And there are lengthier narratives that appeal to the fiction-lovers among us—like “The St. Francis,” a story detailing the eclectic, glib, and somewhat comical happenings of the title hotel.

It has a little something for everyone, and this works for most of Glimpses.  Occasional fumbles in flow are overlookable in this installment of Mezynski’s work, since most of the individual pieces work well in isolation.  Glimpses is still available from Scrambler Books.

Review by James Gapinski

Managing Editor, The Conium Review

© 2012, All Rights Reserved

“I am a black man, a poet, a bohemian, / & there isn’t a road my mind doesn’t travel” (17-18 “Poppies”).  Yusef Komunyakaa’s first Whitmanesque “I am”-statement comes about midway through his latest collection of poems, Chameleon Couch (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011).  By this point in the book, we have already read several of his eclogues, odes, and litanies, among other familiar forms the master employs.  The poem, “Poppies,” reminds us of his body of work, which, throughout the years, has consistently demonstrated his recognizable rhythmic voice and his unquestionable command of image and form.  The poppies, whose vibrant colors spill over the poem like a watercolor swath, becomes a metaphor for both beauty (tucked in a gypsy’s hair) and devastation (climbing and descending hills, swarming barbed wire fences).  Here, the poet depicts a victim on a train to Auschwitz, observing the passing fields of poppies, and noting the strange, brutal juxtaposition of beauty and terror—and also noting beauty’s inability to save the body from this inevitable terror.  But the soul—the soul of the poet passes from body to body, as if each one is a vessel, fixed in history and circumstance, but ever welcoming the poet’s fluidic, ahistoric voice.  Then comes the poet’s “I am”-statement, and we are immediately reminded of the title of this collection, Chameleon Couch—in other words, the seat from which Komunyakaa observes, identifies, and becomes.

Komunyakaa utilizes “I am”-statements throughout this collection, further suggesting the unconfined spirit of his voice.  In the poem, “Flesh,” he remarks,

                              … Unbelievable

                        as I am, I shall say this: if I am Beatrice

                              or Beatitude, muse or pale siren, I am flesh

                        born to another dream of flesh. If I am clay,

                              it is the same merciless clay you are made of,

                        with a red vein of iron running through it, (4-9)

The “red vein of iron” connects all things; it is the portal through which the soul passes and is a part of a greater soul, which all things compose.  Here, the poet identifies with each alternating persona, recognizing and commenting on the aforementioned spiritual connection.  The poem, and by extension the collection, invokes Whitman, Neruda (whom Komunyakaa celebrates in the poem “Nighttime Begins with a Line By Pablo Neruda”), and even Borges, particularly the Argentinian’s “The Circular Ruins,” in which Borges’s protagonist seeks to conceive another human being through means of dreaming.

Komunyakaa’s Chameleon Couch is a work of great complexity, a myriad collection of  subjects, eternally connected by a common poetic voice.  The book is proof of the Komunyakaa’s expertise, which has not waned since the start of his prolific literary career.  He acknowledges his influences, and at the same time asserts himself as influential through the power of his verse and the adaptability of his voice.

Review by Tristan Beach

Guest Editor, The Conium Review

© 2012, All Rights Reserved

For a limited time only, we are offering a 25% discount when you bundle Burdock 10 with a pre-order of The Conium Review.  Normally $22.00, this order is discounted to $16.50.  Both items ship together in late February.  Visit our “Online Store” to purchase this bundle at the discounted rate.  Get yours today; this sale ends January 29th. 

Our first fundraiser didn’t meet its goal, so we just launched a new IndieGoGo.com pledge drive.  We factored in pre-orders, looked at the budget, and introduced this new fundraiser to help us expand bookstore distribution for The Conium Review, support more podcast episodes, and host upcoming poetry/fiction readings.

We need your support to help fund the first issue.  At various donor levels, you get a free copy of the issue, recognition in the journal, and more.

Even a $1 donation gets a reward.  Every little bit helps.  To learn more or contribute, please visit: http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Conium-Review-An-Independent-Literary-Journal

And remember, please tell other people about The Conium Review and help promote our IndieGoGo.com fundraising campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

Neila Mezynski’s chapbook, Yellow Fringe Dress, was released January 9th, 2012.  It’s the latest electronic chapbook from Radioactive Moat Press.

I got to read this manuscript a couple months ago, and I was even considering it for a Conium Press chapbook.  Ultimately, we passed on the manuscript in favor of releasing the Spring 2012 Sampler.  Since our flagship journal is still fledgling, we thought it more prudent to preview the issue than publish a standalone chapbook.  That said, Mezynski’s manuscript is solid, and I am not surprised that Yellow Fringe Dress was picked up so quickly by another publisher.  And Radioactive Moat Press helps the completed chapbook comes together nicely.

Aesthetically, Radioactive Moat Press’ electronic treatment of Yellow Fringe Dress is fitting.  The chapbook is well-designed with interesting typography and a gorgeous cover.  It fits the fractured fantasy-esque dreamscape vibe of Mezynski’s poetry, and it showcases the potential of electronic publishing.  While I am a firm believer in print media, electronic publication has its place, and it can be an art form unto itself (when done properly—and Radioactive Moat Press consistently does it properly).  Though Mezynski’s syntax is experimental, the chapbook’s inviting aesthetic makes it easy to read.  The layout compliments the flow rather than hindering it; I wish more e-books featured this attention to presentational quality.

But enough about my design notes; what about Mezynski’s poetry?  It’s arranged in a hybrid prose poem state.  There is attention to structure, but many of the passages opt for less overt poem-like structure in favor of a hybrid prose poem appearance—her work is one of the few examples of a true prose poem.  There seems to be an overabundance of poets/writers who call anything short prose piece a “poem”—Yellow Fringe Dress is not one of these types of prose poems.  It is well-crafted, and it’s subtle arrangement ads minute layers of meaning to poetry that derives most of its purpose from syntactical variance and interesting word choice.

Without giving away the chapbook’s central story arc, I’ll say that it’s a postmodern type of anti-bildungsroman, with several instances of twisting plotlines that test the reader’s perception of the genre.  The chapbook only stumbles moderately in its slow beginning.  If you can push through the first few pages, the latter half of Mezynski’s chapbook will surprise you.  Early on, there feels like a lack of movement, where the same themes are repeated.  Mezynski does this for thematic emphasis, yet it bogs down the reader slightly.  Once Yellow Fringe Dress picks up the pace, it hurtles at breakneck speed with vivid imagery and carefully planted sensory details.

The experimental prose poem style may be hard for some readers to grasp, but the general storyline of Yellow Fringe Dress is beautifully summed up in the ending section.  The breadth of Mezynski’s piece is distilled in a minimalistic recap that can be transposed over all the preceding sections.  If you have trouble with the unique style of this chapbook, you can flip to part VIII as a cheat sheet.  You’ll miss all the detailed bridges between these fragmented, wispy little descriptors, but it’ll help you understand the central theme easier.  It’s a nice device that provides framing and closure to Mezynski’s well-told story.

At times, the text is wordy and could use some paring down to the bare poetic essentials.  But overall the piece is well-written, and Mezynski’s Yellow Fringe Dress provides a manageable foray into experimentalist syntax and imagery for readers who are new to this type of writing.  It is a great entry-level piece that gets you ready for more work by Neila Mezynski or similar writers—and after you read Yellow Fringe Dress, you’ll definitely want more.

You can find Yellow Fringe Dress at the following URL for free: http://issuu.com/radioactivemoat/docs/yellow_fringe_dress

Review by James Gapinski

Managing Editor, The Conium Review

© 2012, All Rights Reserved

After careful consideration, we selected a cover image for Vol. 1, No. 1 of The Conium Review.   The artist behind this painting is Emma Cook.  She holds a BFA from the University of Minnesota, is a recipient of the Carter Prize in Painting, and has shown her work at numerous galleries.

The issue is slated for Spring 2012 (with an anticipated February release).  There’s still time to pre-order the issue through our online store.  Inside this edition, you’ll find poems and stories from several new and established authors.