I Was a Third Grade Genius

by Justin Barrett. Bottle of Smoke Press. 2003. Bottle of Smoke Press, 503 Tuliptree Square, Leesburg, VA 20176 www.bospress.net

Book Review by Michael Basinski

Justin Barrett has a way with the poem, like mayonnaise spread on toast waiting for the bacon of the mind, tomato of the intellect, the lettuce of love, and sliced perfect, each line like a section of sandwich tooth-picked together so the poem is a mounted insect on the page. Small press clean, non frills ironic, straight from the wallet each poem a twenty dollar bill you find at the bus stop on the way to work each and every Monday like some good angel of poetry has put it there.