Everyday Knowledge

Jim Cummins' wit and humor are legendary among both his friends. In his latest book of poems, Cummins maintains that the fear of death is the ultimate ego-trip, and central to this belief is his amusement at the self-centeredness of American experience. As he wrote in an early poem, he's interested in exploring the "border region between narcissism and an inner life." These poems cover a range of subjects, from teaching film noir to the silliness of academia & religion & maleness, to guns, love, friendship, beating a mother to death with a brick, an orange-colored president in diapers, and the death of a raccoon. With special cameos by Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Tom & Viv, John Wayne, Nick Black Elk, and Acker Bilk. Don't miss out. SAMPLE:

Be Careful What You Wish For

One night as you're staring

into the 'abyss of erudition, '

the abyss loses interest in you

and moves on down the line-

sort of like metaphysical speed dating,

except you didn't get the chance

to show it your credentials.

You're ticked off, but it's unfairness

that got you here to begin with,

right? One thing you'd been certain of

was that you were an interesting case-

could this be a wake-up call?

The abyss is way down the line now,

oblivious, leaving behind a nothingness

you peek out over the rim of,

like a child who's just learned how

to stand up in his crib.