Robert Zimmermann

I got a copy of this book without really knowing anything about the poet or his work. I finished the book feeling like I might know a little more about Wong and have a good feel for his work. With the subtitle “An Introduction to E.I. Wong” I guess the book accomplished it’s goal.

Within Poet Robot are three separate collections: 1) A Narcissist Writes Letters, to Himself, 2) The Second Person, and 3) (Most of) Tin Lion or, the badge of heartless cowards. Each of these collections showcase a different style of writing. Unifying all three is humor. The humor may not be to everyone’s liking, but I feel that with Wong’s sense of humor, as long as you’re open to feeling a little uncomfortable at times, it’s enjoyable. I think it means to push buttons, but all in good fun.

Overall this is a quick read and somewhat out of my comfort zone even within the wild west of poetry (especially The Second Person written in…well, you guessed it: the second person POV). I enjoyed it. I think Wong has a talent for saying whatever he wants, that I admire. I’d be open to reading more of his work in the future, that’s for sure.