Publisher's Synopsis
In this wonderful split collection by Tohm Bakelas and John Dorsey, it's as if Missouri and New Jersey had a lovechild who was forged in the fire of a Toledo glass factory and then locked away, ostensibly forever, in a psych asylum, only to escape and hit the road with a livestream crew following him. And then everyone who witnesses the former lovechild who's evolved into a glove master is fascinated by his many-fingered travels through true life that are then transcribed into poems and bound into this volume for your marveling mordant and often morbid delectation. In other words, these poets have experienced a world of wildness, wonder and woe and know how to use their implements to pierce the complacent heart and lay bare the visceral essence of humanity.
- John Burroughs, 2021-22 U.S. National Beat Poet LaureateFound within the pages of "From Jersey to Belle" is a guide to survival for people suffering from shared isolation, an isolation created by distance, poverty, race, sanity, and grief. Tohm Bakelas teaches readers to find smiling comforts and leads them to deep wells of gentle soothing hope, while John Dorsey eases the torments of living by composing songs of celebration for the archetypes of joy and freedom.
- Jonathan S Baker, Co-editor of the Grind Stone, author of "Cock of the Walk"
