FULL MAGPIE DODGE
by Lyle Neff
Anvil Press, 101 pp.
Poems, yes. But Lyle Neff's the punky cousin who worms into cohabitation and wrecks the joint. He blows his wad on whisky and stiffs you for rent. You want to have him whacked, but those freckles! Plus he's a nasty talker, blows your mind six times out of 10 – not a bad average. ’Course, he's drinking your beer.
There's enough humour, self-loathing and joie de vivre here to satisfy Bukowski's fans, but Neff's the far better craftsman. If you thrill to what words can do when stacked right, drop 14 bucks on Full Magpie Dodge. Five books down the road, this kid'll be big-league. Get in on the ground floor and grin.
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