More by Dennis Sharpe
Contained in the pages of this small printed work are unapologetic texts both broad and specific in scope, telling in three parts the evolution of their architect. They range from very intimate and personal, to universal. The words presented here are intended to allow glimpses into the past and present of one man's human experience. Take from them what you will.
" '(un) SPOKEN' mines late night diners, diaper strewn alleys, and the headaches of hangover mornings for moments of beauty and meaning. These poems have the rough feel of music on vinyl. But ultimately, they are poems of hope, of counting up what was lost and gained, and deciding the things to plow under so that better seed might be sown."
-Britton Shurley, Winner of the 2010 Kentucky Arts Council Emerging Artist Award
FRESH is a collection of poetry created over a scant few months in late 2010. It moves in many different directions but manages to keep a consistent voice. It has an urgency, and haphazardness to it that celebrates growth, change, and looking forward while still not forgetting what has gone before. It proves that time spent in college can be good for more than binge drinking and sleeping ‘til noon; learning can actually take place as well.
The Years Distilled are the verses from twenty years of spoken word and performance poetry on stages and in coffee houses around the United States. While the collection only represents a small fraction of the writing done over two decades (1990-2010) it is an almost complete collection of the pieces performed. The ranting and rambling contained within this book is often juvenile, sometimes petty, and commonly complaining; however all the works are all born of passion.
The people and places that inspired the words between these covers are too numerous to mention individually, but they are all held very dear. It is because these souls, times, and locations have touched so deeply that a permanent mark was left. These memories are now yours to share, for what they're worth.
These are all very different works of varied style and subject matter, plucked at random from a collection of writing. They are in no order whatsoever. What is the common thread? Everyone one of them was written to be performed, and with only two exceptions, they all have been.