Sometimes my eyes look brown likes yours, but sometimes they’re green like Mom’s.
From “Green” by Hannah Kidder
Contributors: Linda Boroff, Manit Chaotragoongit, Robert Fillman, Lisa Haag, Moss Ingram, Hannah Kidde, Victoria Large, Guy Thorvaldsen
7 comments to “Issue 227”
7 comments to “Issue 227”
Beautiful, and thought provoking work by all. This is the first I’ve heard of this literary magazine and I am impressed. Moss’s poem; such painful insight on a sensitive topic. I found it to be a revelation of truth and an exploration of “why?” in a sensitive manner. Very relatable.
This is a tasteful, stylish publication, I’m so glad to have found it! Loved the flash fiction and the poetry. Moss Ingram’s poem evokes such an emotional response, moving from disbelief (“…to laugh and flee”) to the poignant experience of the young man. A timely topic which asks us to remember the boundaries of internal and external experiences, and how they shape impressions. I’m very much looking forward to reading Crack the Spine in the future (I totally love the name, too!) Many thanks to the authors and editors of this awesome endeavor.
Perhaps because the issue comes so close to my own life and heart, I deeply appreciate the stark beauty of articulating a scene that we try not to think about, let alone talk about in Rob Fillman’s poem “Commercial for a Mid-life Crisis.” I can honestly say I needed to read that piece, and I’m grateful for both his tenderness and his skill in writing it.
While I’ve heard of CRACK THE SPINE, this is my first time visiting the site, and I’m so happy I did. I will definitely return to read again. In this issue, I particularly loved Robb Fillman’s “Commercial for a Mid-Life Crisis” for its layered simplicity and starkness. The juxtaposition of raw and beautiful images drew me into the center of the poem where I felt lulled and jostled, sometimes at the same time. Nicely done!
A real poet plays with the tension between the expected and unexpected, revealing a deeper truth that can be unsettling. Rob Fillman’s “Commercial for a Mid-Life Crisis” does that with innocence and raw desire ripping apart more than paper hearts.
This is the first time I have been to this site, but it has been a wonderful discovery. Rob Fillman’s “Commercial for a Midlife Crisis” is an excellent poem. It is rich and compelling; its imagery is powerful and Fillman’s control of tone is exquisite. It shows great depth and layering.
This is my first time reading this publication. Thank you for sharing such wonderful work. I especially enjoyed Rob Fillman’s “Commercial for a Midlife Crisis.” Fillman’s ability to sustain clashing sentiments—innocence and experience, love and violence, joy and betrayal—creates a tension in the reader that is not easily resolved. I am still unsure how I feel after reading the poem. Part of me wants to experience the heartfelt moment that Fillman depicts. Yet the poem’s voyeuristic elements, combined with the materialism of a commercial, gives me a seedy feeling, as if I am intruding or lurking uninvited.