A Book Review by Laura Stamps

POEMS OF BOSTON AND JUST BEYOND: FROM THE BACK BAY TO THE BACK WARD

Doug Holder, 1998, 24 pages, paper, $2.00 (Ibbetson Street Press, 25
School Street, Somerville, MA 02143)

Doug Holder is a popular poet and a tireless promoter of the small
press. He and his wife Dianne run Ibbetson Street Press, which not
only publishes a growing catalog of poetry books but also a biannual poetry
magazine. Holder is also the Arts Editor for the Somerville News, the
East Coast Editor for Poesy Magazine, the moderator for the news group
Ibbetson Update, and the host of the Newton Free Library Poetry Series.
He received a M.A. in Literature from Harvard University, and has
worked for over twenty years as a mental health counselor at McLean Hospital.

As the title suggests, this chapbook is divided into two parts. The
poems in the first section illustrate Holder’s impressions of those
living and working in the Back Bay of Boston. Let me warn you…even
though this poet is a driving force in the national small press poetry
world, he is also a deeply caring man with a generous sense of humor.
His humor in this first section is best expressed in the poem "DADDY IS
HE A MONSTER?":

“A child caught sight of me on a bus
propped up on his seat
safe within his father’s fold
he said,
“Is he a monster?”

My head
poking out of its protective shell of newspaper
a suspicious crab
peering at a threatening predator
my blood shot eyes squinting
behind a shield of dark glass.
The top of my head
void of hair
shining under an aura of artificial light
from the vehicle.
An unruly beard
sprouted
tinted with gray
from my flushed cheeks.

I forced a smile
the child screamed
and disappeared behind his seat.”

The poems in the second section, ON THE WARD, describe Holder’s
experiences with those who make the hospital their home. Once again,
his caring sense of humor creates a series of poems that are a pleasure
to read. "FIRST NIGHT ON THE JOB ON THE PSYCHIATRIC WARD" is my favorite
and typical of the poems in this second series:

“The night seemed perfectly cast…
stormy, thunder and rain
the patient was biblical
long hair and a beard
with his staff at his command.

He put a paternal hand on me
and called me his finest creation
what could I do but thank him?
He smiled
with divine patronization
undoubtedly I was a much valued acolyte.

Then suddenly
a flash from the storm lit the building
in a momentary spectral glow
a clap of thunder
howled down the locked ward.

He looked at me like a proud teacher
patting me on the back
“Good work kid, good work.”

Holder possesses the refreshing ability to create sparse, tightly woven
poems from long sprawling lines. A poetic form that perfectly suits
his talent for lifting the real-life characters that people his poems to
new heights. This chapbook was originally published by Alpha Beat Press
and features a delightful illustration of the poet on the back cover.
Holder has a heart for people, and this collection is a shining
testimony to that gift. I highly recommend it.

© Laura Stamps
laurastamps@mindspring.com