Raw Earth Ink
Spit mixed with dirt – Muddy words flow
Creating Art
Just for fun, here’s some fun art projects I’ve been working on. No reason other than the act of creation. Hope you enjoy….
tara caribou | ©2020
How about you? Are you creating art?
Book Review – And Other Things From This Time by Layne Ambrose
The Amazon link
I read this book in e-book format. This is a unsolicited review.
What I Loved:
Dark, raw, gritty, yet still somehow able to create a spot of hope in me. How? Layne puts it all out there, no apologies, just spilling it on the page for us to devour and grind between our teeth. He pulls out the dirty thoughts we have for ourselves, the self-doubt, the hopelessness, and flays it. The reader is forced to face the inner turmoil head-on or get run over.
Nearly everything I’ve read by the author hits me square between the ribs. I’ve often had so many of these very thoughts to the point I’m sometimes wondering if he has the ability to peer into souls. But it is this ability to display those grisly dark thoughts without shame that gives me hope. That he can create something so beautiful, so consistently, from, as he puts it “the darkness within my soul”…. Well, I am touched and I keep coming back for more.
I loved the poem Alive, But Slowly Dying, which read like a song in my mind. “And you can say – That I can take a lot of pain – Shot it into my veins – Don’t ever take my pain away – Your abuse it’s such a noose – It tightens around my neck – The pain gives me what I expect – Feeding my addiction I can – Feel it sicken – Slowly but surely I am – Turning page by page – Day by day – I am writing my own – Obituary” and so it starts, to which he builds and ends wonderfully.
What I Didn’t:
If I had anything to really say, it’s not that I didn’t like it, but more that there was no break at all. There are no “feel-good” moments. Any laugh is from cynicism not humor. As such, I had to read it in two stretches, because my mind needed a break.
My Overall Score:
4.5/5 stars – there were some misspellings but not enough to really pause the reading (1/4 star), I wanted a little break or two in there (1/4 star), even section headings would have given me a pause, at times I felt almost tied to the front of a train and a slowing or pausing (as I seemed unable to stop myself from hurtling down the tracks) would have been a good reprieve. It has a perfect cover for the content and the perfect size as well.
My Final Thoughts:
Recommended for those who like dark, gritty modern poetry that speaks directly to depression and self-loathing (which I like reading as I myself struggle with these issues).
Book Review – That’s Not Poetry by J. Warren Welch
J. Warren’s Instagram: @j.warren.welch
The Amazon link
I read this book in paperback. This is a unsolicited review.
What I Loved:
I found Mr. Welch over on Instagram and immediately his work spoke to me. Upon realizing he had a book… two in fact, I ran over to Amazon and purchased this first one. At first, when I pulled it out of the box I was like, this is a big one! But even at nearly 300 pages, it still felt just right in length.
J. focuses on love, hatred, social media, religious hypocrisy, lust, and self-hatred coated in arrogance. I know a book is a sure-fire favorite when I pull out my pen and start writing in it. Furiously circling, underlining, and highlighting. I felt I had to restrain myself because I wanted to mark up nearly every page.
Speaking of pages… the publisher did an amazing job formatting the book. It’s very pleasing to the eye, utilizing full-bleed background tints on some pages, such as all grey or straight black with white lettering. These ‘little’ touches helped the book stand out from the rest. The font was perfect for the content. And, being it was Amazon, who is known for poorer quality printing, the paper is thin and somewhat see-through, I was still pleasantly surprised Amazon managed to actually print a great quality book for once. It felt great in the hand.
What I Didn’t:
There was nothing I didn’t love about this collection. It currently sits on my shelf, read-through several times, my now-favorite book of poetry.
My Favorite Bits:
(Many of the pieces are unnamed so I will have to go by page number.)
The section names are so clever, especially once you start reading what’s in there: We Can Be Monsters, Open Book, Atonement, All This Animated Worm Food, Somewhere Between, Undefeated.
Pg 14 – “it never feels freaky or filthy when we do all those wonderful things we do to each other It just feels like making love”
Pg 18 – “… I was never a man worth having until she gave me the freedom to be myself…”
Pg 172 – “the line between being honest and being an asshole is a very fine line indeed You are just a fucking asshole Stop trying to pretend it is a virtue”
And the poem Undefeated on page 248 – damn, so good… ends with “you are undefeated not because you never lose but because every time you do you choose to become a better version of you”
My Overall Score:
5 stars – doesn’t get any better than this, the formatting and editing is perfect, the cover is attractive and engaging, the length is just right, there are no slow spots or gratuitous sections, excellent flow.
My Final Thoughts:
This is exactly what I love about short, modern pieces. While I typically prefer longer poems, Mr. Welch is able to pack a punch with each deep thought he lays down. Thoughts that many of us identify with. He’s got the perfect mixture of in-your-face rough (and unashamed) love, arrogant self-realization and introspection which remains honest (good, bad or ugly) and witty sarcasm.
Highly recommended to those who appreciate short modern poetry that is unafraid to pierce fragile reality. Contains plenty of cussing, but not without premise. Now I’m off to order his second book…
Read more book reviews by following the Book Reviews Category.
be a good writer: read.
~tara caribou
Book Review – Lazy and Writing Wild by Jon Perry
I read this book in paperback. This is a unsolicited review.
What I Loved:
I enjoy Jon’s style and voice. Artistic whimsy perhaps would be the best way to describe it. The 190-page book is broken down into nine sections, my personal favorites being “The Rain” and “Two the Moon”, followed by “Wild Song Book” for its originality in a book of poems.
The book is what I consider to be a “perfect length” for a book of poetry. There’s enough there to really get a feel for the writer and their abilities and message without becoming a full-length novel, so it feels good to sit with it and read without feeling burdened. It felt good in the hand, with a silky matte finish and an interesting cover.
Inside felt much like an Instagram book. Drawn art, photos, short-and-sweet, along with multi-page pieces. By about page 30, I was really enjoying myself and fully engaged. I very much like Jon’s poetry and art. It’s meaningful even when sometimes it’s silly. The Rain and Fire sections had several very sweet love poems which I thoroughly enjoyed.
What I Didn’t:
The first thing I do when I get a book is look at the outside cover, front and back, and feel the weight and paper. Then I flip the book, rather quickly for first impressions. The first thing I noticed was inconsistency, various fonts, sizes, placement. Formatting is just as important as the message and I wasn’t happy to see it at first glance.
However, as I settled down to actually read the book, I found by around page 30-ish that I didn’t mind the formatting of this particular book so much. It was a distraction (on a few pieces in particular especially) but one I could overlook because it somehow also felt cohesive. As I mentioned above, once taking into account the Instagram-nature of the artist, I could really start to enjoy myself.
I did notice a few grammar/spelling errors but, while they caused a pause, I was able to continue reading without it disrupting me much.
My Overall Score:
4 stars
(loss of a full star for awkward formatting and some stumbling in the flow due to that)
My Final Thoughts:
Mr. Perry, known as “Cargo Ship Poet” on Instagram, is one of my favorite IG poets. I never know what I’m going to read when his name rolls through my feed. Sometimes gooey, sometimes silly, sometimes a bit dark, always good. After warming up to his style in print form, I went on to really enjoy his book for what it is instead of through the lens of my “ideals”. His art and photos were engaging and fun and the poetry was what I have come to expect from him: deeper than it appears at first glance and touching to my humanity. I recommend his book to those who like whimsical, non-structured modern poetry with an artistic flair.
Read more book reviews by following the Book Reviews Category.
be a good writer: read.
~tara caribou
A FINAL NOTE ON REVIEWS: it may seem that I am harsh on many writers for their editing, formatting, grammar, punctuation, etc. I do so unapologetically. First, because this is a review not a popularity contest. Second, because honest criticism should help us grow as artists.
The fact of the matter is, these things MATTER. A mathematician must use his tools and use them correctly to be an effective mathematician. A surgeon cannot simply say, “I know I can’t sew the wound closed but at least I could remove the appendix or whatever that thing is called.” Same with writers. We can’t claim to be writers yet refuse to use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. We can’t claim to be a photographer just because we know how to push the button on the camera (or phone). There’s an art to it.
So while I may appreciate the artist as a person and their words, I believe that it does us all a disservice to claim that lower quality editing is okay, whether in word, deed, or omission of criticism. Instead: believe in yourself! Believe in the power of your words! Put the effort into being the very best you can be. Ask for help. Grow and learn.
“The Year That Stole the Light Away” poetry by Brandon White
Today is the release day for Brandon White’s debut poetry collection, The Year That Stole the Light Away.
From the back: A remarkable journey through the depths of grief, heartbreak, and the first awkward footfalls back to a life rendered unrecognizable, yet budding with hope.
White guides us through a shared inevitability, offering a hand that we might navigate the darkness together and find our way back to something that resembles home.
In paperback at: lulu, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or directly from Brandon on his website.
As an eBook at: Kindle.
Leave a review at Goodreads.
©️2019 | Brandon White
Book Review – The Lonely Young and the Lonely Old by Tim Miller
I read this book via my e-reader. This is an unsolicited review.
What I Loved:
Here we have a collection of short stories all about loneliness. Whether the young child or the widower. The loneliness found in mental illness, age, intelligence, loss, or feeling misunderstood.
Each piece from the first half of the book reads like the inner monologue of the individual. The second half is the musings of the human condition through an unnamed narrator.
Every story was unique and I could feel the loneliness in every line. The length of the book felt just right and the title perfectly sums up what you’ll find inside.
What I Didn’t:
My only real complaint, which is really quite minor, is that the formatting of the e-book was a little off. It didn’t make it unreadable, simply that it detracted (or distracted) from moving the stories along with inconsistent spacing.
My Favorite Bits:
Holy Dread – a delusional man tries to make sense of his confusing life
Flew Away For Number Three – a very young child processes the loss of their father
Games Old Men Play – an older gentleman declines after the loss of his wife but develops a crush on another woman he’s never met
Adult Conversation – a young child listens carefully to the conversation his parents have during his birthday dinner, he decides some secrets are best not shared
Truthfully I liked every story but here were just four of them.
My Overall Score:
4.75/5 stars
(1/4 loss for odd e-book formatting)
My Final Thoughts:
I really appreciated Mr. Miller’s thoughtful take on loneliness. While not providing any answers, he still manages to help one feel a little less alone. Highly recommended to those who enjoy short stories which feel a bit autobiographical and very real.
“The Poets Symphony” an art and poetry anthology inspired by music
Raw Earth Ink proud to present (and super excited about) The Poets Symphony: Verses, Melodies, and Lyrical Poems.
An anthology composed by thirty-one artists and poets. Inside you’ll find poems, lyrics, melodies, photography, paintings, digital art and more all inspired by MUSIC.
I couldn’t be happier with this book. It’s gorgeous on the outside but it’s the inside bits that are the best. This has truly been my pleasure to work with all of these fine creators.
I encourage you to check out the Anthology Authors page to find out more about any of them.
In paperback at: lulu, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
As eBook at: Kindle
Leave a review on Goodreads.
Collective copyright 2019-23 by Raw Earth Ink
Individual text copyright by contributing authors
Book Review – The Raven’s Poison by Braeden Michaels
I read this book in paperback. This is a unsolicited review.
What I Loved:
Braeden Michaels is another one of my favorite poets. He is a master at creating imagery with his varied and vivid lines. Somehow he combines these images to create a scene and that scene, if we allow it, gives us a view deeper into our own humanity.
He writes with such depth and his lines make you really think about who we are as humans and our place in this world, our emotions, and our different perspectives. I find that I can read nearly every piece over and over, each time walking away with more meaning than the time before.
I also appreciate his creativity and his titles are dynamite. Things like “Coughing Up a Smirk”, “Psychobabble”, “Tangled Snowflake”, “Marmalade Boots”, and “The Blush Vertebrae”… how does he come up with these names??
I didn’t find a single grammatical error or misspelling and that made me very happy (because if you know me at all, it is that those are pet-peeves of mine). Also, the paperback quality was very good. A nice size in your hand, great overall length, and the front cover art for me was great.
What I Didn’t:
I honestly have nothing negative to say about this book. It now happily sits on my shelf to be read again and again.
(Some of) My Favorite Bits:
The Lost Scarecrow: the imagery is dark, personifying a person as a scarecrow… we are shown glimpses of a man’s loss, in this case his mother, living in the memories and the pain of that loss, somehow able to crawl beyond the hurting and to reflect on what was and now is
Rattlesnake Postcard: again, his imagery is spot-on, like sitting on a barstool and observing the people around you, all with a story, maybe trying to drown out reality in the booze
Skin of the Beast: living with abuse, I particularly loved the lines “I shivered feeling your wrath – I was quivering from the force of your leather hand…. – You make my blood cold and my bones brittle” which I think very well describes some of the effects from abuse
Sugar Fascination: picking apart an artist’s work (in this case a poet) and falling in love [lust?] with what’s said between the lines, something I think is all too easy to do as readers (or lovers of any type of art, really)
Forever in the Afterglow: a very lovely, romantic poem about falling in love and desiring to know even more about the person, to uncover and delve into all their depths, to keep that love continually burning
Basket of Gold: a personal favorite of mine from a couple years ago when I first read it on his website, because it is so romantic and sweet (and I love love… this hits the spot), especially those last lines: “Hand in hand – Realizing this hand is the only hand – I want to feel for a lifetime” SWOON
My Overall Score:
5/5 stars
This book is exactly what I want from a book of poetry. Excellent length, quality writing, professional and engaging cover. Worth every penny and minute invested.
My Final Thoughts:
I really feel that Braeden is an understated poet of the day. If I was only allowed to own five books in my library, this would be one of them. Heaven help me when his next book comes out! Truly a pleasure to read his work.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy unique modern poetry that makes you think and feel.
Read more book reviews by following the Book Reviews Category.
be a good writer: read.
~tara caribou
Raw Earth Ink 