"This Is It, Folks"
I try to convince people that we are in
Hell
That life is merely death at its best.
No one is asked whether they wish
To be born. Everyone is asked to die.
Life is comprised of the noisy silence
One makes of it.
And I’ve got Satan in my back pocket
Waiting for you….
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"torture technique"
i’m saving the bloody towels
as souvenirs,
the bathtub is sweating
bloody rivulets over
its stained carcass,
my sink casts a dark
light over the spreading
red oily spots on the floor
the knife in my hand
casts a gloriously
mean reflection in the
spattered mirror
my limbs are
leaking heavy fluids
a
bullet would be faster
but
a knife will do
just fine
An edition of Shadows Before the Maiming
(1999)
Shadows Before the Maiming
1 edition
by Scott C. Holstad and Margaret B. Simon
- 1 Want to read
- 1 Have read
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I think this excerpt from a description of me following the publication of this book, written by J Penton, editor & publisher of Sick Puppy Press, is probably one of the best descriptions I could come up with, better than any I would write. What follows is a short excerpt.
"When poetry focuses on the more sinful, cruel, and pathological side of human nature, we typically refer to it as “dark.” I wouldn’t describe Scott Holstad’s poetry that way. His works are so violent, angry, and self-effacing that they seem to transcend darkness; they are so engorged with pain that questions of morality and immorality seem irrelevant. Despite his recent Pulitzer nomination, Scott remains active on the small press circuit, which is odd, because you’d think most small presses would be afraid to print this stuff." J Penton, Publisher Sick Puppy P.
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Subjects
Poetry, American -General, horror, gothic, terror, violence, foreboding, dark, insanity, beat, disturbing, psychological horror, slasher porn, self harm, pain, splatter punk, dark fantasy, horror poetry| Edition | Availability |
|---|---|
1
Shadows Before the Maiming
August 1, 1999, Gothic Press
Mass Market Paperback
in English
- 1 edition
091304508X 9780913045084
|
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Book Details
First Sentence
"Creatures kneeling in the dark/ waiting for the rain to fall/ precious moments wasted..."
Edition Notes
* As seen on TODAY's August 8, 2022 holiday special, "65 Best Halloween Quotes: Short Halloween Quotes from Movies," where in an excerpt from Shadows Before The Maiming, Scott Holstad was attributed with one of the 65 Best (known) Halloween quotes, joining quotes from such authors and celebrities as Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Oscar Wilde, Sue Grafton, John Steinbeck, Vincent Price, H.P. Lovecraft, William Shakespeare, Anne Rice, Edgar Allen Poe and other notables. This piece was then picked up and published on websites such as Yahoo, Latest Movs and Flipboard. [https://www.today.com/life/holidays/halloween-quotes-rcna41306]
The Physical Object
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Excerpts
Page 11; 15,
added by qbitsof.
I chose these two separate poems because I think they represent what I view as the protagonist initially displaying a pragmatic (to him), albeit dysfunctional, life view, one in which he apparently tries to influence others. Transition to the second poem then and somehow he's made a leap, or rather jumped down into a huge bottomless bit where he seems to be, or already have, losing (lost) himself. I think this book sets readers up for the next one, The Napalmed Soul, which carries things even further...
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| June 19, 2022 | Edited by qbitsof | Added a couple of subjects (tags) |
| April 25, 2022 | Edited by qbitsof | Added excerpts and explanation |
| April 14, 2022 | Edited by qbitsof | Edited without comment. |
| April 14, 2022 | Edited by qbitsof | Added a couple of links |
| December 13, 2021 | Created by qbitsof | Added copyright date, contributor, and publication location |