Book Review of Barzilla and Other Psalms
It Means Something
by Tony Phillips
CityBeat readers know Ed from such sordid classics as “kids would be better off if their parents gave them booze” and “Matisyahu is a big stupid Jew.” I enjoy his columns. They are relevant, personal and, as Ed himself might write, all stream-of-consciousnessy. They lay bare the soul of the troubled, deviant, barely recovered degenerate that is our buddy, Edwin. But if you thought you’d gotten a glimpse of him from his columns, you should read his poetry.
Ed’s first book, Barzilla and Other Psalms, is a collection of verse that does for poetry what the Scandinavians did for cuisine–muck it up beyond recognition. I hate using this word, but I consider Ed’s work “important.” Ed’s work means something. Exactly what it means is frightening to imagine, but it means something meaningful, even if it only means it about the reader. If you appreciate Ed’s poetry (and I’m rather sure you will), you should commit yourself to long-term cognitive therapy. Consider the final stanza of “You Chick”: “Chick doesn’t try to improve her pussy, because her pussy can’t be improved.”
OK. So it’s not Tennyson. It’s not even Ginsberg. What it is, is pure Decker and, damn it, it’s good. It’s not for the faint of heart. Don’t buy a copy for your Aunt Meg in Tulsa. But buy one for yourself and read every word. Don’t be afraid to like it. They’re just words. They won’t hurt you. But as another reviewer has observed, they sure won’t let you get comfortable.
–Tony Phillips
