A Review of My Chapbook "Ringing": Porn? Boring? Trying to Con the Reader?

The following review's on Goodreads:

"Well, I read it twice, trying to find what is good about this and I have to say, I can't. It sounds like porn that is slightly poetic. It is one step above porn because of word placement, syntax and phrasing, but all the c--ts, etc, and the rest of the sex -

I'm not against sex in life or poems, but I found it boring. Or like I was supposed to be shocked.

However, I do think it's trying to say something. I had a few impressions but I won't say. Still, I feel like I'm being conned with this book.

Not saying poetry has to be pretty - not at all."


okay, some comments from me now

--This is the 2nd time that Ringing (in its young public life so far) has been called "boring." Are these two readers on to something?

--Some people don't like the taste of, let's say, raw onions. That's the way it is and most of them are not going to change. But, again: boring?

--If I'm writing a kind of "porn" then it's a strange kind, made (in addition to sexual language and imagery) of violence and religion, surreal and jagged. I guess, though, that there is porn like that. (?) I am not, in any way, reinventing the wheel.

--Trying to con the reader? All writing is of course a kind of distortion. A kind of manipulation. But am I more than the ordinary poet-sheister?

--And, lastly, I appreciate the fact that Nanette read through the poems twice. It seems she gave them a chance. Fair enough.