Down With Poetry - Book Review

Struggling poets of the world unite! This is the book to pick you up after you have had a rejection or two (or several). Read twice a day until recovery.

Down With Poetry by Helena Nelson is wonderful. It is a shot in the arm and tickles the funny bone. Split into three sections -  Unsuitable Poems, More Unsuitable Poems and Anti-Poetry, this collection will resonate with anyone who has written poetry and tried to get published. Along with her book How (Not) To Get Your Poetry Published you will never again feel alone again.

Helena Nelson runs a small poetry press called HappenStance Press and she writes chatty newsletters and tells things as they are. This little collection made me laugh so much with it's instruction poems - What Not to Write on the Back Jacket of Your Debt Collection, including 'The author's mother recommended this book' and 'Many of these poems were written while dusting'. Other poems I liked included Like (just like the youngsters talk - I was like Read this poem/He was like You must be joking. Emidepic had a Ronnie Barker feel to it (where he mispronounces words) and despite, or because of the language I loved The Fucking Vernacular.

How can any poet live without this? Flick over to Helena's website and buy a copy today!