Poetry book by Vermonter Tom Smith features a host of characters and creatures

At the late 2019 BookExpo New Title Showcase, an unusual poetry collection titled “Poet Steals Headlines: Sentenced to Life” (ReadersMagnet; 2018) by Tom Smith was on displayed, for any poetry lover or any person who loves to read. They will be in for a great treat.
 
“Poet Steals Headlines” is packed with pure entertainment from start to finish. Smith’s poems feature real-life characters and creatures that were subjects of outrageous, sensational news stories ran not only by fictional news tabloids but also by mainstream media outlets such as New York Times and Associated Press (AP).
 
Smith’s latest book of poems demonstrates not only his playfulness with words but also his skillful use of humor, irony, and satire in treating his subjects and revealing underlying meanings and themes.
 
Take, for instance, “Michael Jackson to Become a Priest” which headline is taken from a March 18, 2003 article in Weekly World News. Readers, especially those with a sense of history, will recall that the Catholic Church was dragged into the abuse scandal throughout 2003 and beyond, and they cannot also forget the deceased pop star was accused of abuse, though acquitted.
 
Another noteworthy poem is “Schoolkids Scoffed at Nerdy Steven”. The subject refers to Steven Spielberg as an “Inmate at Arcadia High in Phoenix” who “showed no interest in school or sports or girls.” People at school called him by a variety of racial slurs. This poem has underlying messages about school bullying, peer pressure, and, to some extent, violence and racial discrimination.
 
Smith’s other humorous, satirical poems also feature Liberace, Amelia Earhart, union leader Jimmy Hoffa, and Mike Tyson, among others. To know how and why Smith featured them in his works, better grab a copy of “Poet Steals Headlines: Sentenced to Life.”
 
Copies are available through Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Poet-Steals-Headlines-Sentence-Life/dp/1948864681) and Barnes & Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poet-steals-headlines-tom-smith/1129486682)
 
Watch out for the exhibit of “Poet Steals Headlines: Sentenced to Life” at the 2019 BookExpo New Title Showcase on May 29 to June 2, 2019, at New York, NY.
 

 
Poet Steals Headlines: Sentenced to Life
Written by Tom Smith
Published by ReadersMagnet LLC
Published date: September 6, 2018
Paperback price: $7.10
 
About the Author
 
Professor emeritus Tom Smith taught literature and writing at Vermont’s Castleton University until retiring in 1995. He and his wife Virginia continue to dwell in Vermont where they enjoy frequent visits from their sons and grandchildren. Tom has been publishing poems since 1959 in many literary magazines as well as book-length collections.
 

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