Pot Liquor for Writer's Block��Nommogeneity. - Review - book review

Pot Liquor for Writer's Block--Nommogeneity by Nommogeneity Poets Ubwenge Press, ISBN 0-9703567-0-6

This offering could be one of the prototypes of how poetry will be delivered in the future. The poetry quintet Nommogeneity and its mini-poetry anthology comes complete with a CD. You can read the poetry and hear it and it seems both composed and improvised.

Nommogeneity (a.k.a. the Nommogeneity Poets) is Laila Aziz, Angela Boyce, Douglas Kearney, d. zenani mzube, and dj Watson. Their book comes with extremely high expectations. Spoken word artist Reg E. Gaines provides the forward; L.A's word wizard, Kamau Da'aood has written the introduction. It is good work heavy on words, blunt imagery and familiar topics and themes. Douglas Kearney takes on the awkward wing of cultural nationalist thought ("Prepackaged Plastic Blackness"); d. zenani mzube is concerned with violence against women ("Easier"); Laila Aziz, patriarchy ("Izms"); Angela Joyce, fear ("Crank Call"); d.j. watson, desire ("Solo").

Many will love Pot Liquor and many others, due to the redundancy contained within many of the poems, will dismiss this fine effort. Reading and listening to Pot Liquor, I hoped more than once for some solace in economy, but somehow, I knew that safe choices wouldn't have done this project any justice. Pot Liquor thrives on its excesses. This package is genuine because it is not perfect, and notable because its use of words dazzles and keeps the poetry fresh from start to finish.

Brian Gilmore is the author of Jungle Nights and Soda Fountain Rags.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Cox, Matthews & Associates
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group