Even and Beginnings: A Collection of Odds and Ends

The poet knows and shares that verse is the language of the emotions of life. Remo Perini does justice to his emotions in Evens and Beginnings: A Collection of Odds and Ends, a beautiful collection of poems about love, death, divorce, capitalism, loneliness, suicide, finding peace, frogs, and so much more. The poems are all significant, speaking about the journey through life and how all seek to find purpose, how some find it and others don't. It's a mixture of short and long poems that keeps you engaged. Evens and Beginnings is deep, eloquent, and meaningful. Perini touches on the trials, triumphs, and hurdles we all face. Every poem is special and unique. Perini beautifully articulates his perceptions of life experiences that are relatable. The way Perini envisions these experiences captures the beauty of even the darker and trying emotions. The images Perini included to accompany each poem were carefully selected to complement the poetry. Perini is an outstanding writer who can communicate positive and negative emotions charmingly. This book is filled with emotionally resonant, profoundly thoughtful, contemplative, well-written, well-conceived poems.

The poems themselves represent many styles. Free verse, lilting rhyming verse, epistolary verse, this collection is a mirage of poetic happenings and styles, just as the title suggests. The sentiments express life in its fullness, spanning the wide panorama of emotions from pure joy to heart-breaking sadness, from love to disappointment and disillusionment. The poems are pure, raw, and sometimes harsh, reflecting life in its fullness. There are simple pleasures, too. Like music: "A tune is tasted, tingling time, To an open ear, a taste of brightness, An absolute abounding rhyme." Perini begins with a touching dedication to his mother and all she was and still is; a creative force that set the standards high for both her sons, especially the poet himself. His Dedication and Foreword read like a brief memory that is continued in his poetic renditions. Spellbinding and thought-provoking, this collection of poetry might be the odds and ends that its subtitle suggests, and a poignant metaphor for life.

The book opens with "This Is," a contemplative poem marveling at the wonder of creation. "The Profit Prophet" is a sharp critique of the relentless pursuit of material possessions that bring neither happiness nor fulfillment. "Nobody" follows the everyday life of a broken man lost in the pit of despair and loneliness. "Our Country 'Tis" lays bare the faults, struggles, hopes, and dreams of America as a country and what it strives to be. "'Til Death Do Us Part" speaks of the slow deterioration of a relationship built on love and trust. "Calamity and Chaos" delves into the rigors of our day-to-day lives filled with stress, anxiety, and anger. "Mirror" encourages readers to look twice into their beliefs.

Evens and Beginnings is a thoughtful and poignant poetry collection that leaves you with a lot to think about. Remo Perini's mesmerizing verses will strike a chord in your heart and force you to introspect. Stylistically, some of the poems are experimental, with non-rhythmic verses and non-traditional structures. While some of them have clearly discernable topics and subject matter, others are more abstract. Despite the similar underlying theme of the nature of existence and the exploration of the human condition, every single one feels unique and brings something of its own to the narrative.

Evens and Beginnings is highly recommended to poetry lovers.

Author: Remo Perini
Publisher: Bookbaby
Published: 10/19/2022
Pages: 46
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.20lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.94w x 0.24d
ISBN13: 9798985887778
ISBN10: 8985887777
BISAC Categories:
- Poetry | General

About the Author
Poet and children's book author Remo Perini first published some of the poems found in this book with the National Library of Poetry. Remo's prolific writing continued which resulted in his newly debuted book poetry, Evens and Beginnings, A Collection of Odds and Ends. Remo's unique mastery of poetry has had many influences including musician Lori Anderson and writing techniques used by such greats as Kurt Vonnegut, drawing the reader in by playfully offering tidbits of meaning while obscuring depth of understanding, using new words or those of vague familiarity.

Creative ideas such as Evens and Beginnings, A Collection of Odds and Ends (E&B), some from his own mind while some of his humorous offerings are fictional yet based on warping historic facts. Remo believes that a great book is not dictated by its subject but by the skill of the writer: A great writer can write about a speck of dust that has been laying on a shelf for ten years and make it interesting and intriguing, says Remo. His hope is that all of his readers come away from his books with a sense of joy, curiosity, or humor from their experience.

Remo grew up in NY the eldest son of two elementary school teachers and moved to San Jose, CA after college graduation. He hosted a radio show on 89.7FM KFJC, called The Gateway to Infinity where he attained some local celebrity through his weekly satirical feature, Bay Area Laundromats (BAL). In response to a BAL press release, David Letterman's producer said We would love to have you on the show, but your feature is local and we only bring on guests of national interest. Then, demonstrating the sincerest form of flattery, Letterman aired a laundromat segment the next week.

In addition to his 2022 debut book E&B, Remo has four upcoming books in other genres, his book of humor, HA! (2022), and a series of children's books with a protagonist named Eustace, beginning with Eustace and the Christmas Swim (2023-2025). The book of humor and the book of poetry are each dedicated to his father and mother, respectively. Remo lives with two young sons, Nico and Mateo and a poodle named Enzo, in Vienna, VA, just West of DC. Remo aspires to become the Bard of Vienna, or the Bard of anyplace looking for a Bard.