A fortune in mothballs, & other poems
by Ed Galing. New York : Black Spring Press, 1999.
Book Review by Michael Basinski
Originally scheduled to be published in 1999 by Black Spring Press but kept the dark because of the publisher’s lack of $coin$. Galing brought this collection to light on his own, via his own will. Write him for copies of this book. The book is $5.00. Ed Galing 3435 Mill Road, Hatsboro, PA, 19040. Why not write him and ask for poems!
At 87 Ed Galing has gotta be near the oldest practicing, activity writing poet on the planet and I find that spectacular particularly because this day at the writing table I couldn’t squeeze out a word! So Galing for sure has got guts! This collection is full of the wonderful speaking cadence of small presswork and, particularly, in this book is a tender and wonderful tribute poem to Charles Bukowski. Galing could have sat next to Bukowski in the ol’ time burlesque houses of south Philly. Imagine that. And of course, Ed Galing sat next to a lot of other people over the decades and it seems sat a long time at the writing table. His works are tender and sharp insights into all that makes us human. After 87 years his breath has been ours, all of our breathings and his poetry is the poetry that is the spine and soul of each and all of us. He is the mountains.
Made with ♥ in Baltimore.
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