zine review:
Punk Rock for Hip Statisticians
If indie art was a mathematical formula, it would probably look something like: sex (music) + existential angst (meta) = art. And if this mathematical formula existed, and it was applied rigorously to the creation of a book of poetry, the result would be Punk Rock for Hip Statisticians. Evans has written a collection that wafts thick-rimmed glasses and celebrities no one has heard of in all directions. His free-form verse is decent enough, if unmemorable, and the worst technical criticism that can be leveled against it is that it’s poorly edited. While it may be briefly annoying to read poems about people that you probably don’t recognize (and are never introduced to), it is par for the course with collections of this type. There are moments of artistic clarity, where Evans seems to be aware that art for the sake of art may sometimes fall short of justification, but he quickly silences himself and resumes his literary ramblings. Perhaps this really is for hip statisticians, and as someone who is neither, I’m simply not the audience. This might be worth a look for the curious or meta-obsessed. (J. Blackmore)
Zine, Eric Evans, Ink Publications 50 Bond Street, Rochester NY, 14620, USA, $3.50