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Monday, September 30 2013, 4:02 PM

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byChristopherSchmidt Slope Editions 2008 Reviewed by Jason Schneiderman

Coldfront The Next in Line

The End of Possibility You should probably judge Christopher Schmidts first book by its cover. Its a friendly not too flashy or eye-piercing, but byblue-grey, Christopher Schmidt it stands out. The text elements are well balanced, the framing Slope Editions 2008 lines bringing a sense of order and balance. Theres a black and Reviewed by Jason Schneiderman white photograph by John Coplans that at first seems to be an obscenely aged body, shown from the waist downhairy, wrinkled, bunchy, struttingbut then it resolves into two fingers, End of Possibility poised for walking, The Yellow-Pages-style. Its clever and shocking, Youpun. should probably Christopher Schmidts first book by an intimately coy visual It retains its judge eroticism and appeal even after its cover. Its awhat friendly blue-grey, not toostill flashy eye-piercing, surrendering to your realization of it is, because you can see or what it looks like. In other words, when you to the bar that is a bookstore, Schmidts but it stands out.go The text elements are well balanced, the the keeper you wantframing to take home. The cover is a perfect flirtation, a come on lines bringing a sense of order and balance. Theres a its a promise, and Schmidt delivers. black and white photograph by John Coplans that at first seems *** to be an obscenely aged body, shown from the waist down Its easiest to start by describing the bunchy, pleasurestruttingbut of the most obviously conceptual hairy, wrinkled, then it resolves into two poems, the poems which arepoised most clearly driven Yellow-Pages-style. by a conceit. Top/Butt tells and fingers, for walking, Its clever the story of an erotic outing without the pun. use ofIt the vowels e or i. (Soon shocking, an intimately coy visual retains itsa eroticism and appeal even Luc spots chub on pup slut Todd.) Block Text lists words that afterhumongous surrendering to your realization of what it is, because you can still see include black or block but reverses them to give us new formations that are what it looks like. In other words, when you go to the bar that is a bookstore, deracinated (Block Panther), (Cockblacker), or topical (Jenny from Schmidts the keeper youfunny want to take home. The cover is a perfect flirtation, the Black) while keeping the eroticism of the words/work a come onits a promise, and Schmidt delivers. in place. The vision of the erotic that Schmidt offers is surprisingly friendly, and ***is not tortured or punished, but refreshingly playful. Throughout the poems, sex socialIts and inventive, bringing back the best of the sexual ethos of obviously a magazine like easiest to start by describing the pleasure of the most conceptual GaySunshine , while abandoning any self-righteousness. Timothy Liu,Top/Butt who poems, the poems which are most clearly driven by a conceit. tells selected volume Slope, is right to compare work to Barthes. is thethe story of an for erotic outing without the use the of the vowels a eSchmidt or i. (Soon a master that humongous untranslatable jouissance thatTodd.) Barthes prized: Schmidt Lucof spots chub on pup slut Block Text listsoffered words that up to include us as a pleasure. Who would think that avoiding vowels could make sex talk black or block but reverses them to give us new formations that are fun? deracinated Schmidt takes Kafka for an outing to a Bathhouse and the Black Party, (Block Panther), funny (Cockblacker), or topical (Jenny from though Franz seems to keeping have lessthe funeroticism than Schmidt does (poor Franz). Its also a the Black) while of the words/work in place. decidedly gay book, unapologetically invoking Polari (a British gay slang that vision thestonewall), erotic that Fire Schmidt offers is surprisingly friendly, and went The out of styleof with Island, bathhouses, and Kiki DuRane refreshingly playful. the poems, sex is not tortured punished, (Justin Bonds character inThroughout the duo Kiki & Herb). But its gay the way or that butis social and dont inventive, back the of the of a Erasure gay. You have bringing to like the boys to best dance to it. sexual Its all ethos right with magazine like Gay Sunshine , while abandoning any self-righteousness. Schmidt if you dont speak Polari. After all, no one does. Timothy Liu, who selected the volume for Slope, is right to compare the work to Schmidts touch is so light, it feels like hes rediscovered the harpsichord in a time Barthes. Schmidt is a master of that untranslatable jouissance that Barthes of Thelonius Monk imitators. In some ways, its that generous trust that the prized: Schmidt offered up to us as a pleasure. Who would think that avoiding reader understands that makes the book move so trippingly forward. But vowels could make sex fun? Schmidt takes Kafka intellect for an outing Schmidts irresistible charm istalk underwritten by an enormous and a to a Bathhouse and the Black Party, though Franz seems to have less fun than
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genuine concern for the reader. If this book were a one night stand, it would not only care about your orgasm, it would make you pancakes in the morning, and from a recipe in an obscure French cookbook youd spend the rest of your life trying to track down. *** Schmidt has a wonderful ear for casual speech, and for internal rhymes that come back quickly on themselves. His engagement with the banal continually elevates the mundane into a tight sonic playing field. From Go Lightly, a sonnet early in the book: Helen chooses beans and egg whites. June: yoghurt, prunes. Starch can line a skin like stress, says Helen. June: I bloat a tide full moon. Sugar is not a vegetable, ought a thing to obsess Just as he settles into a perfect iambic pentameter, he disrupts it, and he distracts from the rhymes by overloading the lines with the same sounds. Prosodically, the poems are tight and smart, but they always insist on remaining a field of play. These poems are masterful in that the know all the rules, but more importantly, know why those rules were made in the first place. Lines like Those who know, dont. Those who care, scare (39) and Thin, skin so uninteresting (57) pepper the collection. Unpack this one: Queensburying (like bunbuyring, like Ashberying) (39). Working from the template of Elizabeth Bishops Invitation to Marianne Moore, Schmidt wrests the wry Invitation to Ms. Kiki Durane, (appropriately) an altered Sapphic. *** In a long poem about a (possibly seductive) student, Schmidt explores the parallels between teaching and prostitution. The boy finally reveals that he has tiny vestigal fingers growing out of his pinkies. Its a moment of amazing intimacy and confusion. The relationship has reached the end of possibilityand its beautiful, in part because Schmidt is so good at calibrating those moments where theres no where else to go. In these ways and more, Schmidts debut collection is a remarkable accomplishmentclever, smart, and emotionally satisfying. *

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