Thursday, April 21, 2022

Giveth and Taketh --by Rota

 Nonfiction / Poetry - chapbook

Wild Pressed Books Ltd.

May 17, 2020

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1916489699

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1916489691

32 pages, 11 poems

Print price Amazon $12.04

5 Stars

 

I recently saw Rota read one poem at a reading, and had his book ordered almost by the time he finished. Yes, I was that impressed. I have now read all the poems in this chapbook, and I am even more impressed. 

 

Rota speaks of the Jewish condition. He does so with pathos, with humor, with honesty, and makes almost wish I was Jewish.

 

From the opening (prose) poem, “To the man at the waspy dinner party who told me I’d go to Hell (if I didn’t embrace Jesus)”to the closing (prose) poem, “From the protest” I was not just in his thrall, I am once again in literary lust!

 

With the exception of the two book-end poems above, all are narrative free verse, and they will blow your socks off! Rota takes us on an emotional roller coaster ride. From anger to sadness to humor. Especially in Midrash where the part of Job is played by Rota’s Jewish grandmother. I can see her. I can hear her. I can laugh with her.

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