Book Review: Vicious Romantic

Vicious Romantic by Wrath James White (Needfire Press, 2010)


Needfire Press once again proves itself the leading publisher of horror poetry, with this collection of works of "terror, madness, pain, and sorrow" (as White himself glosses in the Introduction).  In Vicious Romantic, White deftly utilizes Japanese and Korean verse forms (e.g. haiku comprise the "stanzas" of select poems); the writing, as a result, is at once tight and resonant.  As one might guess from the book's title, the coupling of love and death forms an overarching theme here.  For instance, in "The Wind Over the Water," a heartbroken boy sitting lakeside and grieving over
"unrequited love" is targeted by a heartless, rapacious "monster."  The imagery in this poem, and throughout the volume, is as vivid as it is vicious.

There are several other standout pieces couched between the covers, such as "Consumption," in which the poet manages to make even cannibalism sound exquisite.  In the chilling "Not His Mother," a shotgun-wielding son faces off with his beloved but zombified mom.  Don't expect to find Bob Villa or Norm Abrams in "This Old House of Pain and Woe"--the titular domicile probably could use an exorcism more than an excavation.  And the darkly allegorical title poem--featuring a creature that battens on romance, that stalks
"desperate lovers" and "camouflages itself / As diamond engagement rings"--forms the perfect coda to the collection.

Just as the individual poems are brief but poignant, the volume overall is short yet haunting.  Easily devoured yet meant to be relished.  For those lucky enough to be in love with a horror lover, this book can serve as the perfect Valentine this coming Monday.