Banango Lit

BY: THOM JAMES

Ok, so, I’m going to tell you about Heavy Feather Review, an electronic journal founded by Nathan Floom, and Jason Teal, with two assistant editors, Jason Carnahan, and Kyle Bialko. 

I open the PDF file. The cover image is an image-poetry macro by Steve Roggenbuck. I can already tell that Heavy Feather Review know what they’re doing. This theme continues; though it’s their first volume and even, first issue, they’ve got some great, great writers being published within this issue. Roxane Gay, Len Kuntz, J Bradley, Gregory Sherl, to name a few. I want to tell you about it. 

Let’s go.

Peter Schwartz is featured within this publication, with ‘a dozen parables’. I’m seriously drawn to this piece; little statements/sentiments that are rejuvenating, slightly unintelligible, and delectable. I’m really enjoying how minimal and immediate it is, it’s bare, whilst being morbidly intelligent. In many parts, it’s sardonic and that’s the way it should be. Mr. Schwartz has got it down. Apparently Peter Schwartz is also a comedian in the real world. I like that.

‘ere, ‘ave a gander:

“1. 

there once was a farmer who always saw the sunrise, he died in a weird experiment with mosquitoes and bees. 

2. 

once was a pilot with nowhere to go who invented chess. 

3. 

once was a student who coveted manhood, he developed a new way of looking at time and space but was completely penniless in the cold north for thirty years.”

- ‘a dozen parables’ by Peter Schwartz

Ok so, the next piece which stands out for me is Rick D’Elia’s ‘What’s Good for the Goose’. Within this piece of fiction, D’Elia talks about Thomas Paine rather whimsically, giving Paine a new sense of self in contemporary western civilisation. Something which he laid down the foundations for. D’Elia’s writing is the sort of writing which makes you wonder “why didn’t I think of that?” but instead of questioning, you’re shouting at yourself. “Why didn’t I think of that!” - it’s that good. For serious. The way Rick D’Elia tackles mundanity with humorous intentions is great. Really. But I’ll show you WHY instead:

“Soon I would come home from work, walk into the living room and the Paine, a nickname that he still will not fully acknowledge, would be sunk in the couch, feet up on the coffee table, remote in one hand, the other petting my dog. The Paine would see my frustration built up from the day and say, “Seriously, might as well give up. I’m not even using reverse psychology. I’m serious. You’re a miserable bastard. You’re never satisfied, and give little effort to achieve anything.” - ‘What’s Good for the Goose’ by Rick D’Elia

The next piece of writing which I enjoy immensely is by David Greenspan. Actually, all three pieces that are featured in the publication (‘how they greet thursday night’, ‘your balloon is on fire and my palms are ashtrays’, ‘how they wake up to find carbonation in their veins’) by Greenspan are pieces I enjoy immensely. David Greenspan writes very well; what I’m reading is authentic, real, almost organic. It’s very natural and nothing seems strained. I want to read more. I’ll probably read his blogspot after this review. 

This piece, in particular, is one that you should read. Here’s an excerpt: 

“After a three-day White Castle bender, Francis staggers home to find the mailman painting the door. Really, the mailman is masturbating while singing in French. Sarah is at a book club where they discuss how to best steep a teabag into their lover’s eyeballs. Sarah returns home to find the mailman steeping his fingers into their door. Really, he is feeding tenants ice cream while humming.” - ‘how they greet thursday night’ by David Greenspan 

All in all, Heavy Feather Review are doing seriously well for their first volume, better than most. Already. So you should read the first issue and perhaps submit to their next issue. I may do just that. Though I could not mention everyone, a pat on the back to all the writers featured. 

http://www.heavyfeatherreview.com/

BY: THOM JAMES

So. NAP’s pretty rad. I never use the word ‘rad’ because I’m British and it doesn’t sound right. But NAP is rad nonetheless. NAP 2.3 is a collection of work which screams innovation. Though, it’s no surprise. NAP has always been screaming innovation, even since the first issue back in January 2011. I’m going to boldly say that this is their best issue yet. Now, you are probably wondering why I’m telling you that NAP’s latest issue is better than the rest. I’ll tell you why. Because it features writers such as Thomas Patrick Levy, Tyler Gobble, Banangolit’s very own Diana Salier, and more. Much more. 

The 2.3 issue starts off with Hugh Behm-Steinberg talking about devils; sexual devils, and coporate devils. The concept of devils living, working, and breathing within society is an interesting idea - we can see it within the legend of Faust, The Master and The Margarita, et cetera. They all present this theme - but Hugh Behm-Steinberg adds something new. His style is sleek and fluid. He makes it modern. He makes it fresh. He makes it accessible. He makes it his own. He makes it attractive.

Here’s an example of why Hugh Behm-Steinberg is published in NAP 2.3:

Do you want to kiss? Do you want to come down to my apartment? Can I show you my etchings? Let me comb the feathers in your wings. Let me wax your halo. The devil stutters.   All the things he wants to say. So much time and so little he needs to do.

- ‘Dating Devil’ by Hugh Behm-Steinberf

We move on through the issue, and brilliant writers feature through out, and each one of them deserves a mention, but one writer who really stands out for me within this issue is Andrew Cox, with a piece entitled ‘Last Time’. Last Time is written with simplicity, and a real, raw, emotive feeling being radiated from the beginning, to the end. It feels sentimental without being soppy. That’s an extremely hard thing to pull off. Andrew Cox writes superbly. I want more from him. I want more from you, Andrew Cox.

There is a specific extract in particular which I adore, and I’ll share it with you now. 

___

Once upon a time ended days after the lights went up

___

Time to take the long flight back home and get married

___

What are you I’m a princess I should have known

___

I promise I won’t do it again

___

No kids on Halloween came to the house where the birds once sang

___

The things people say shouldn’t surprise anyone

___

The last time I felt this way I didn’t take it to heart

___

- ‘Last Time’ by Andrew Cox

Thomas Patrick Levy is featured in issue 2.3, and this is good. It’s good because he deserves to be here. I’ve seen his work in other places such as kill author and ILK journal, but there’s something about ‘A Large Oven’ and ‘Holes In The Wall’ that makes me feel a little light headed. A little nauseous. A little paranoid. But with loving embrace. These two pieces are like a gentle punch in the face, and after the first hit, you’re waiting for the next hit.

I hope if Thomas Patrick Levy punches me, it’ll be as good as his writing.

Here, I’ll show you what I mean:

The test results say YOU ARE A TERRIBLE PERSON. The test 

results are never wrong, the tester says 

WE WEREN’T EVEN TESTING  FOR THIS

- ‘A Large Oven’ by Thomas Patrick Levy

Every piece published within issue 2.3 is exceedingly good, and we’re being shown why NAP is so good at what they do. The writers featured make me feel like I want to go to AWP next year and meet them in person and shake their hand, and maybe buy their books.

Yeah, definitely buy their books.

Congratulations to Hugh Behm-Steinberg, Melissa Broder, Andrew Cox, Caroline Crew & Cyrus Parlin, Chris Emslie, Tyler Gobble, David Greenspan, Rose Hunter, Kristin Kimble, Thomas Patrick Levy, Rob Macdonald, M.G. Martin, Roberto Montes, Diana Salier, Nick Sturm, K.M.A. Sullivan, Parker Tettleton, Bryce Thornburg, Daniel J Walsh, and in particular, Chadwick Redden, the King of Nap, because he deserves a lot of love. 

Look for yourself @ http://naplitmag.com/issues/nap2_3.html

BY: THOM JAMES

I remember when the Mumford and Sons album first came out in Britain. I gave it a few listens, and did not think much of it. I moved on to the next thing. I think it was the XX.

T.L. Kirk has written a collection of poems within a chapbook whilst being inspired by the music he heard from Mumford and Sons. After being given this piece to review, I thought, “why not listen to the album as I read through?” so, initially, I started off with Sigh No More. By T.L. Kirk. And Mumford and Sons. I went through every poem with the musical counterpart.

There is an overwhelming sense of sentimentalism in all the pieces, though, it is not crippling in any way. Actually, it does the complete opposite. From the beginning piece ‘Sigh No More’ to the last poem ‘After The Storm’, it is as if we’re watching events that are very confidential. They’re full of intimacy, there is great amount of questioning, and there’s an abundance of reminiscing. The way the pieces remain fluent throughout the entirety of the chapbook is great; they feel almost like liquid when they’re being read. Kirk has made the pieces seem very intimate to the reader, they promote a sense of naturalism, it is rejuvenating, it is refreshing. Here’s an example of why I really, really, really, like this chapbook;

I want to fall without gravity

With them

And nestle in the sand

Warm and grating

Where fish bones go to die

Already gone

But buried deep now

For good

- ‘After The Storm’

All the poems I read within this chapbook were enjoyable. They made me feel like I wanted to run outside and find some hay barrels and jump on them. Even though it’s winter, and something like 3 degrees outside. As well as writing a memorable chapbook inspired by Mumford and Sons, Kirk has also made me want to listen to Mumford and Sons more. They can be read whilst listening to Mumford and Sons, they can be read without listening to Mumford and Sons, they can be read without knowing anything about Mumford and Sons, Kirk makes it work. He makes it all his own.

You should read his works for yourself,

Tyler’s work can be found here; http://tlkirk.tumblr.com/