I read a lot of different styles of poetry and enjoy a lot of different styles of poetry, some more than others, of course. I tend to focus on the actual poetry more so than the name of the writer (unless I loved someone's previous poetry/book and am thus compelled to read more of their poetry/procure their other book(s), and which is not to say I don't read poetry by people I know, because of course I do - but I also acquire plenty of books by people I don't know personally at all, have never met, have never heard them read live, don't know much of anything about them, and sometimes don't even remember exactly how I got the book, and that would be the case with this chapbook I'm reading now). I don't know the author, I'm not friends with the author here on social media, and I'm not even going to say the author's name other than saying I wasn't previously familiar with the name.
Anyway, I realize we all have different creative styles we're drawn to and I think I tend to be fairly open to a variety of different styles (in fact, I tend to get annoyed by contemporary poets who seem to think most poetry sucks and even more annoyed by contemporary poets who don't even read much poetry). But I started reading this chapbook and felt like it was so basic and boring that I was wondering if it was some sort of a joke. I kept thinking, "Is this a real chapbook?", but of course it is, because the name of the press is real, the chapbook looks nice, and so on. Of course there's the possibility that maybe "I just don't get it" in terms of the style of this particular writing, but I mean, like I said, it's pretty basic (or so it seems to me - short poems, short lines, basic words, which is certainly not a bad thing in and of itself, but to me these particular words are pretty boring and don't seem particularly multifaceted or complex, but again, maybe I'm missing something).
Maybe I'm just bored by the basics and don't want things to be narrowed down by about 20 words cut into short lines. But on the other hand, maybe someone else would read these particular poems, interpret them quite differently, and they would really resonate for them. Even though I don't particularly like this book or don't get this book or both, I do think it's interesting that there are so many different styles of poetry existing alongside thousands of people who almost never read poetry at all.
I read poetry and I write poetry and me personally, I don't usually want to narrow myself down to really short lines, but on the other hand, I AM structuring myself into a certain personal style and chosen format that breaks my own lines to a particular extent or else I wouldn't be writing poetry. My poetry isn't all the exact same style, but I'm not drawn towards writing lines that are as short as they can possibly be, to the point of two to four words long. That would make me feel as if I was narrowing myself down TOO much and as if I wasn't sharing or expressing enough. Part of my personal poetry process involves WORDS of course and personal poetic expression, but also thinking out loud and structuring my words/expression in my own brain's style, and I don't want it to be incredibly broad, but I also don't want it to be particularly narrow, basic, and simplistic, because that's not me. I'm not drawn to simplistic language.
10/5/26
Happy October! What a wonderful month to buy a poetry chapbook!
I am sharing three new mini reviews I discovered today of three different poetry chapbooks by Juliet Cook/me (each of which I still happen to have a few copies available for sale in the Blood Pudding Press shop, in case anyone would like to acquire one for October, Fall, or Halloween).
"I love this book. It’s completely in Juliet Cooks style. You could tell that she had a blast writing this book." Davide Nixon
about the chapbook "Red Flames Burning Out" (Grey Book Press, 2023)
"This is a crazy collection of poetry. If you know anything about Juliet Cook’s style or aesthetic then you’ll know that it’s dolls, vaginas (yonic), murder, birds, and then David Lynch. All of this is expressed through her poetry, and then there is a hint of comfort, which you should want in poetry. Hopefully this review is vague enough that it makes the book sound interesting. I really loved this book." Davide Nixon
about the chapbook "Contorted Doom Conveyor (Gutter Snob Books, 2023)
"Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Thank you for being you, Juliet. I love it." Suzanne Grazyna
about the chapbook "REVOLTING" (Cul-de-sac of Blood, 2024)
Links to these three chapbooks appear below.
***
Red Flames Burning Out - https://www.etsy.com/listing/1474135657/red-flames-burning-out-poetry-chapbook
Contorted Doom Conveyor - https://www.etsy.com/listing/1527609127/contorted-doom-conveyor-poetry-chapbook
9/9/26
NEW! You've Been Poemed! The Anthology is almost here!
Juliet Cook is delighted to have a poem included in this new Anthology, You've Been Poemed!
Along with many other wonderful poets! Over 100 poets are included within this book!
Thank you very much to Sandra Feen for creating this project and asking for poems, to both Sandra and Dianne Borsenik for their considerable and considerate and creatively detailed editing work on this project, and to Sheila-Na-Gig Editions for publishing it.
You can find out more about the You've Been Poemed! Anthology HERE (and consider pre-ordering a copy, at a discounted rate, that lasts through October 31) - https://sheilanagigblog.com/shop-sheila-na-gig-editions/feen_poemed/
Along with many other wonderful poets! Over 100 poets are included within this book!
Thank you very much to Sandra Feen for creating this project and asking for poems, to both Sandra and Dianne Borsenik for their considerable and considerate and creatively detailed editing work on this project, and to Sheila-Na-Gig Editions for publishing it.
You can find out more about the You've Been Poemed! Anthology HERE (and consider pre-ordering a copy, at a discounted rate, that lasts through October 31) - https://sheilanagigblog.com/shop-sheila-na-gig-editions/feen_poemed/
8/31/26
NEW! Another one of Juliet Cook's "Another Broken Mirror" poems is newly appearing in The Rye Whiskey Review!
"Dripping blood, then drying out,
unless I keep bleeding inside
my cracked glass coffin..."
in Juliet Cook's poem "Another Broken Mirror", newly appearing in The Rye Whiskey Review!
read more here - http://ryethewhiskeyreview.blogspot.com/2026/08/another-broken-mirror-by-juliet-cook.html
unless I keep bleeding inside
my cracked glass coffin..."
in Juliet Cook's poem "Another Broken Mirror", newly appearing in The Rye Whiskey Review!
read more here - http://ryethewhiskeyreview.blogspot.com/2026/08/another-broken-mirror-by-juliet-cook.html
(Yes this is a second recently published poem with the same title, but other than the title, it is its own poem. Both poems, along with others, currently appear within a new chapbook manuscript in-progress...)...
8/26/26
NEW! "Another Broken Mirror" by Juliet Cook, another new poem up In Conversation at The Literary Underground!
"Organizational, generational,
outdated motivational speakers
dressed as chosen cheerleaders
telling us what to do.
We listen to the teacher,
to the governing body
as it takes control
over our own bodies."
in Juliet Cook's poem "Another Broken Mirror", newly appearing In Conversation at The Literary Underground!(This is another poem of mine that also appears in a new chapbook manuscript in progress too...)...
read more HERE - https://theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/08/26/another-broken-mirror-by-juliet-cook/
NEW! A New Thirteen Myna Birds Flock has Arrived, in time for the end of summer/beginning of fall....
Approaching the end of summer and launching into the fall, a new issue of Thirteen Myna Birds has finally arrived!
This issue is brimming with birds. Rising, falling, burning, flying, screaming, offering warnings...
Twenty new feathers and beaks are all HERE (from Debrah Shenefelt - MISH - Merritt Waldon - Ken Poyner - László Aranyi - James Croal Jackson - Ann Randlette - Paul David Adkins - Daniel G. Snethen - A.J. Huffman) - https://13myna.blogspot.com/
Flaming fingers scratch the sky - The chickadees have stopped singing - the crows are hopping from branch to branch dropping closer waiting - to find a half-cherry in my cup of fruit cocktail - Ascending angel clings to shadows - unaware she is already melted and falling - Hollow sky - I could not count all the trees - It is more than a number of trees - a thousand bucks to screw her head onto a bolt - with needle-and-thread grass, hog-nosed snakes and sandburs - Birds pecked out the eyes - The mission of the Earth is fulfilled: the one who lands ashore is taken aim at - The altar, a split shell by a dying brushfire - The cats are out of the bag, and their fangs are mammoth - painted images in the reddened sky - staring at my near colorless fruit - How a window could frost and seal itself behind - what if some students can’t afford the book? - Songbirds screech to clouds in mourning - the doctor freezing pieces of me off - The whole place reeked of bleach - I vomit hearts drained of purpose...
This issue is brimming with birds. Rising, falling, burning, flying, screaming, offering warnings...
Twenty new feathers and beaks are all HERE (from Debrah Shenefelt - MISH - Merritt Waldon - Ken Poyner - László Aranyi - James Croal Jackson - Ann Randlette - Paul David Adkins - Daniel G. Snethen - A.J. Huffman) - https://13myna.blogspot.com/
Flaming fingers scratch the sky - The chickadees have stopped singing - the crows are hopping from branch to branch dropping closer waiting - to find a half-cherry in my cup of fruit cocktail - Ascending angel clings to shadows - unaware she is already melted and falling - Hollow sky - I could not count all the trees - It is more than a number of trees - a thousand bucks to screw her head onto a bolt - with needle-and-thread grass, hog-nosed snakes and sandburs - Birds pecked out the eyes - The mission of the Earth is fulfilled: the one who lands ashore is taken aim at - The altar, a split shell by a dying brushfire - The cats are out of the bag, and their fangs are mammoth - painted images in the reddened sky - staring at my near colorless fruit - How a window could frost and seal itself behind - what if some students can’t afford the book? - Songbirds screech to clouds in mourning - the doctor freezing pieces of me off - The whole place reeked of bleach - I vomit hearts drained of purpose...
 |
| Vortex by MISH |
8/17/26
NEW! "I Didn't Know Who I Was Yet" by Juliet Cook, In Conversation at The Literary Underground!
"If you try to make yourself invisible one way,
then you become invisible in other ways too.
For years, I couldn’t see myself
unless I stared at myself in the mirror."
in Juliet Cook's poem "I Didn't Know Who I Was Yet", which appeared In Conversation at The Literary Underground on Sunday
You can read more here - https://theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/08/16/i-didnt-know-who-i-was-yet-by-juliet-cook/
(On a side note, this poem also appears in a new poetry chapbook manuscript in progress...)...
then you become invisible in other ways too.
For years, I couldn’t see myself
unless I stared at myself in the mirror."
in Juliet Cook's poem "I Didn't Know Who I Was Yet", which appeared In Conversation at The Literary Underground on Sunday
You can read more here - https://theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/08/16/i-didnt-know-who-i-was-yet-by-juliet-cook/
(On a side note, this poem also appears in a new poetry chapbook manuscript in progress...)...
8/1/26
NEW! Juliet Cook's poem "NIGHTMARE MACULAR DEGNERATION" is newly appearing in Rogue Agent!
"A praying mantis crawls out
of my eye hole, from underneath
dilapidated bags."
the beginning of Juliet Cook's poem "NIGHTMARE MACULAR DEGENERATION", newly appearing in Issue 137, August 2026 of Rogue Agent
Read more here - http://www.rogueagentjournal.com/jcook-2
Check out the whole issue here - http://www.rogueagentjournal.com/#issue137-section
of my eye hole, from underneath
dilapidated bags."
the beginning of Juliet Cook's poem "NIGHTMARE MACULAR DEGENERATION", newly appearing in Issue 137, August 2026 of Rogue Agent
Read more here - http://www.rogueagentjournal.com/jcook-2
Check out the whole issue here - http://www.rogueagentjournal.com/#issue137-section
7/31/26
NEW! Happy Last Day of July and a short new poem!
Happy last day of July 2026. Juliet Cook has a short new poem up today at Drinkers Only.
Thank you very much to editor John Patrick Robbins.
Drinkers Only : Short and Not So Sweet By Juliet Cook - https://drinkersonly.blogspot.com/2026/07/short-and-not-so-sweet-by-juliet-cook.html
7/23/26
NEW! Juliet Cook reviews the poetry collection, {f}ragile Nests by Pella {f}elton!
Check out this new review written by Juliet Cook about Pella Felton's new uniquely wonderful poetry collection, {f}ragile Nests (published by Roadside Press) and then consider buying a copy of the book if you don't have one yet.
Thank you to The Literary Underground for publishing Cook's review.
Here is a link to the whole review, followed by a few snippets from the review - https://theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/07/23/juliet-cook-reviews-fragile-nests-by-pella-felton/
***
"The beginning of the book involves an interesting and multifaceted Prologue, which expresses, among many other contradictory complexities, “I co[m]e fro[m] a box that should not exist”. But Pella’s box definitely does exist (within many different facets and interconnections), definitely deserves to exist, and definitely deserves to be viewed, heard, read, and explored."
one snippet from the review; read more by clicking the link above
***
"I’ve also been thinking about glass cages and glass coffins lately (in part, because I’m repeatedly inserting glass coffins into a small series of interconnected poems I’m in the process of working on) and so I visualized Pella’s box (or one of them) as a glass coffin she was breaking through. Breaking through a glass mirror or a glass coffin involves cracks and shards and wounds but once the glass is broken through something new may emerge. Something that has been somewhat hiding inside oneself for quite some time (like a poem) and shall now be revealed in varying phases and styles and degrees"
another snippet from the review; read more by clicking the link above
Thank you to The Literary Underground for publishing Cook's review.
Here is a link to the whole review, followed by a few snippets from the review - https://theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/07/23/juliet-cook-reviews-fragile-nests-by-pella-felton/
***
"The beginning of the book involves an interesting and multifaceted Prologue, which expresses, among many other contradictory complexities, “I co[m]e fro[m] a box that should not exist”. But Pella’s box definitely does exist (within many different facets and interconnections), definitely deserves to exist, and definitely deserves to be viewed, heard, read, and explored."
one snippet from the review; read more by clicking the link above
***
"I’ve also been thinking about glass cages and glass coffins lately (in part, because I’m repeatedly inserting glass coffins into a small series of interconnected poems I’m in the process of working on) and so I visualized Pella’s box (or one of them) as a glass coffin she was breaking through. Breaking through a glass mirror or a glass coffin involves cracks and shards and wounds but once the glass is broken through something new may emerge. Something that has been somewhat hiding inside oneself for quite some time (like a poem) and shall now be revealed in varying phases and styles and degrees"
another snippet from the review; read more by clicking the link above
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