Wednesday, 8 April 2020

BOOK REVIEW: SHOOTING GALLERY VULTURES BY SCOTT WOZNIAK



"As Americans, we are living in a nation without poetry. As punk rockers, we are living in a scene without poetry. Wozniak has rediscovered this primal form and dragged it through the muck to create a loser's triumph" - Blag Dahlia (singer of punk band Dwarves)

Published at the back end of 2019 by Alien Buddha Press, this graphic illustrated poetry collection is unlike any other you will have come across before. Wozniak's debut collection Crumbling Utopian Pipedream (Moran Press, 2017) was excellent - a tour de force in stripped back, concise, pull-no-punches poetry. Wozniak has an undeniable way with words - he can cut through the fat and get straight to the meat of an issue. You may not always like what he has to say, but you can't deny the finesse with which he tells his tales. Shooting Gallery Vultures steps it up to another level and brings graphic artist Andrew Nutini along for the ride. 

Nutini's artwork is a joy to behold and I would have happily flicked through a book of his work alone, but the stark imagery paired with Wozniak's cutting words are a perfect fit. I am not going to lie to you, much of the content in these poems is bleak as fuck - an up close and personal look at addiction and desperation - and given the current climate (this review being written at the height of a global pandemic) you may find the unrelenting nihilism a challenge, but trust me, the journey is worth it. The existence of this book is a celebration of survival, a celebration of a man's will to live, to keep fighting, and to never throw in the towel.

Get a copy of this fantastic book from Amazon

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