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Sunday, October 23, 2011

Book Review: Glenn W. Cooper SOME NATURAL THINGS. Kamini Press, Stockholm Sweden, 2007 (32 pages)


I was curious to have a look at a Kamini Press publication so got a hold of Glenn W. Cooper’s poetry book Some Natural Things. The book I received was first edition and signed by the author. I was also thrown in a signed copy of Gerald Locklin’s poem ‘Two Torch Singers’. The book is approximately 80 x 55 mm in size, hand made, self assembled and printed on quality Lessebo Linne 100 g paper. The cover features a water colour by Henry Denander, the publisher of Kamini Press.

Cooper’s collection consists of twenty-five short poems which examine rain/ storms as a motif to stir human emotions, thoughts, memories. These are gentle, evocative free verse poems which explore the well trodden themes of failure, the loss of love, discovery, small pleasures, growing old- without the sentiment or bullshit.

This book can be read carefully a couple of times in half an hour. I found that although I enjoyed reading Cooper’s work these poems only just start to wet my appetite. I have followed his work over many years and the Armidale, New South Wales resident is one of a few Australians to consistently publish quality poetry in the international small press. He has written many chapbooks but I would like to read a larger collection of his poetry which does justice to the full body of his work.

Blurbs of Glenn W. Cooper’s book and further info on how you can buy his book can be found at Kamini Press here: http://kaminipress.com/2009/09/20/glenn-w-cooper-some-natural-things/

More on Cooper’s many chapbooks can be found here: http://www.librarything.com/author/cooperglennw