NOT A LOT OF REASONS TO SING, BUT ENOUGH by Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre | NetGalley Book Review

Not A Lot Of Reasons to Sing But Enough

But good people: Revenge is more than spite. I do not peddle simple
spite; it’s only spite when the war is over. And our wars rage.

So rage back, my friends. Buy a bag of spiders today, and rage back.

If you’re wondering why you should buy a bag of spiders, scroll down to the first poem I’m including for NOT A LOT OF REASONS TO SING, BUT ENOUGH by Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre

I can only describe this book as odd and extraordinary!

At the start, I wasn’t sure I would like this, and I couldn’t understand the setting; we’re listening to a robot whose memories were recovered from a post-apocalyptic world, and as we do so we follow 2 poets traveling across the said world, as poet-bards. I’m not clear on that bit, and I will need to read the start again.

Either way, Myhre uses that setting to explore racism, homophobia, poetry, sexism, and violence without naming names. This setting gives him a lot of freedom to explore things, for example, ‘Revenge is the best Success’ is a great poem, but works even better in this setting rather than a more standard book of poems. The poems on Hen March are great, but an entire book on Hen March may not have worked the way these poems in this setting did and how they made us switch between the past and the present.

I also loved how the poets cross paths with so many unreasonable people and are brushed aside every time they speak the truth; it’s indicative of not only the role art has in our lives but also of how truth still exists, someone does still speak it, even when it looks like the majority doesn’t agree with it.

I also really appreciate Myhre’s poetry because it sounds really lovely to read out loud. I’m not a big fan of poetry that doesn’t sound right when you read it out loud. I hate that. This isn’t like that, which I love!

I’m going to be including some of my favorite poems here, but honestly, the book is really worth checking out and has many more that I’m sure everyone would love!

Housekeeping:

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read and review this!

NOT A LOT OF REASONS TO SING, BUT ENOUGH was published by Button Poetry and came out on the 1st of March. It is currently available on Amazon to purchase!

And remember, if you like my review be sure to check out my other NetGalley Book Reviews right here!

https://thegirlwhoreadsdotcom.wordpress.com/last-week-on-netgalley/

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If you’re here for spiders

Blurb for Not A Lot Of Reasons To Sing, But Enough

OF WHAT FUTURE ARE THESE THE WILD, EARLY DAYS?

An exploration of the role that artists play in resisting authoritarianism with a sci-fi twist. 

In poetry, dialogue and visual art the book follows two wandering poets as they make their way from village to village, across a prison colony moon full of exiled rebels, robots, and storytellers. 

Part post-apocalyptic road journal, part alternate universe history of Hip Hop, and part “Letters to a Young Poet”-style toolkit for emerging poets and aspiring movement-builders, it’s also a one-of-a-kind practitioners’ take on poetry, power, and possibility. 

NOT A LOT OF REASONS TO SING is a: 

-post-apocalyptic road journal 
-alternate universe history of Hip Hop 
-“Letters to a Young Poet” 
-toolkit for emerging poets and aspiring movement-builders 

it’s also a one-of-a-kind practitioners’ take on poetry, power, and possibility.